The Great American Bike Race (GABR) is a fundraiser for children and adults with cerebral palsy and related diseases. This stationary bike race was started in 1977, and is the brainchild of Dr. Kevin Murphy, a Pediatric Physiatrist from Duluth Minnesota. He comes to Bismarck Sanford Medical Center a few times a month to see children and adults, and is here to help us and our families learn to live well with our disabilities.
The first year the race was at Northbrook Mall and later moved to Gateway Mall. Twenty-five years and many moves later, it is now held at the Event Center. It has grown to be the largest fundraiser of its kind in the United States, with an average of one hundred fifty bikes and fifteen hundred participants per year. Since it started, the GABR has raised over 4.6 million dollars and all the money stays in central and western North Dakota. Due to Covid-19, the race committee decided to hold the race virtually. Teams take videos and submit to the committee.
At this point you are probably asking why GABR is so important, and what sort of things are paid for. Well, it will not only provide things that insurance won’t pay for, but it will also purchase wheelchairs, leg braces, and adaptive bikes. In addition, it has paid for homes and vehicles to become accessible. It also pays for out of state medical appointments, as they are needed.
The GABR funds are disbursed quarterly. A qualified individual must have a childhood onset condition that permanently affects their development, and they must live in the GABR service area.
Most recently, it paid for a new seating system for my manual wheelchair. But the thing I am most proud of that they purchased for me, is a horse saddle that I get strapped into which allows me to ride independently.
If you would like to donate to this very important event, please go to the GABR website and click the button that says ‘donate’. We need your help more now than ever!