The 2008 Five Points of Life Ride, covering over 2,000 miles in a 30- day period, will make a stop in Fernandina Beach Sunday, October 26. The Ride is traveling through six southeastern states and participating in events in more than 30 cities, including Fernandina. The free community-wide event will be held at 3:30 p.m. at the Fernandina Beach dock and will include entertainment, refreshments and a short program featuring individuals who have been touched by donation.

“We are so happy to have this group come to our community to help spread the word about these life-saving donations,” said local businessman and organ donor father, David Caples. “Please come and out support the riders for their personal commitment to donation and hear how transplantation has touched so many lives right here in our community.”

The team members include a donor who has given more than 50 gallons of blood, a rider whose marrow donation saved the life of a nurse in Australia, and a rider who is able to pedal a bike because she received a kidney transplant. There are 12 riders from around the country, seven of whom are from Florida.

The Riders will come to Fernandina from St. Mary’s, Ga. via the Cumberland Sound Ferry. The ferry ride is considered an extension of the Coastal Georgia Greenway, a 450-mile long bike trail through the state.

“It is exciting for us to be utilizing the Greenway for the first time and for such a meaningful endeavor. It’s also nice to have a national group of riders being exposed to our beautiful community,” said Cumberland Sound Ferry owner/operator, Kevin McCarthy.

The timeline for the day is:

1:30 – Riders arrive in St. Mary’s at Spencer House

2:30 – Riders & VIP’s depart St. Mary’s via ferry

3:30 – Ferry arrives Fernandina Beach, mingle for a short while, enjoy entertainment

4-4:30 pm – Educational program at Fernandina Beach dock

4:30 – 5pm – mingle & media interviews

The Ride, which started in Alabama October 1, is designed to raise awareness of the need for the five ways we can save lives through donation: whole blood, apheresis, marrow and blood stem cells, cord blood and organ & tissue. A group of 12 nonprofessional cyclists from across the United States, each with a personal connection to one or more of the five points, is riding from Alabama to Florida to share their messages. The Ride will end October 29 in Cedar Key, Fla.

With the support of many of the national donor organizations and the financial support of corporate sponsors, LifeSouth organized the first cross-country Five Points of Life ride in 1997. You can learn more about LifeSouth by visiting their Web site at www.lifesouth.org.

Local groups assisting in this event are The Katie Caples Foundation (www.katierideforlife.org), LifeQuest Organ Recovery Services (www.lifequestfla.org), SETA (www.donorcare.org) and the Blood Alliance (www.igiveblood.com).