Young Vance pedals his way to Lance Armstrong

Thirteen-year-old John Austin Vance, son of Public Safety Director Ken Vance, had a dream to help cancer victims and to honor his hero Lance Armstrong. And because of the generosity of those at GC&SU and in the town of Milledgeville, his dream will come true.

This year, Vance raised $10,025 to go toward the Lance Armstrong Foundation, a foundation that aims to better the lives of cancer victims. He will be traveling to Austin, TX in October, for the second year in a row, to ride his bike in the Race for Roses, Armstrong’s annual bike race to help raise money to fight cancer.

Vance said his high level of involvement in the Lance Armstrong Foundation stems from people close to him being diagnosed with cancer.

“My next door neighbor got cancer when I first started collecting money and then my grandmother died of lung cancer,” Vance said. “I like helping people, and I want to help find a cure.”

Vance said most of the money he raised came from sending out solicitation letters. A large portion of the money also came from donors at GC&SU.

In his donation letter, Vance describes the ride as “the most important ride [we] will ever take…a ride that will cover some difficult territory; a ride we can’t make without compassion and commitment; a ride that’s far more important than any bicycle race I’ve ever been in. It is a ride to make life better for people living with, through and beyond cancer.”

Assistant Controller Carla Asbell in Financial Services was one of the many people at GC&SU who donated money to Vance.

“I think the fervor for doing positive things is to be admired, encouraged and supported, in whatever way one is able,” Asbell said. “For (Vance), something in the combination of his love of cycling, his admiration of Lance Armstrong and the fight to find treatments and cures for such a terrible disease came together and prompted him to action. It’s very commendable.”

Vance additionally uses his birthdays as opportunities to raise more money for the Foundation. He said that instead of asking for birthday presents, he asks for donations. He has also been involved in many fundraising efforts to help raise money.

“I had a few Captain D’s nights in August, and people dropped off their receipts in my box, and a percentage of that went to me for the race,” Vance said. “I also had a car wash and a big raffle.”

Biking has been a hobby of Vance’s for many years, and he has been riding competitively since he was 8 years old. He’s also a part of Bicycle Ride Across Georgia (BRAG).

“I have two bikes. One’s a Gary Fisher mid-grade that I’ve updated a lot, and the other is a Trek 1500 dirt bike,” Vance said. “The most I’ve rode in a day is 85 miles, but I’m riding 70 miles in Austin.”

Vance also rode the 70-mile track last year, after raising over $6,000, and was the second youngest rider there.

According to Ken Vance, Armstrong is coming to Georgia in a couple of weeks for the Ride for Roses Race, and his son has an opportunity to meet him.

“The governor’s office has been in touch with us trying to arrange for John Austin to reach [Armstrong],” Ken Vance said. “He has a chance to make a personal presentation of the money he’s raised.”

Vance is very appreciative of all the donations he’s received thus far, and like donor Kevin Murner, Associate Director of Operations & Maintenance at GC&SU, he believes that with the donations, a positive impact can be made on the lives of cancer survivors.

“With his dedication to this worthy cause, I am honored to know [Vance] and his family,” Kevin Murner said. “Within the last year and a half, I personally have lost two very close friends to cancer. This illness attacks in so many ways and affects many people. My reason for giving is to help chisel away at the walls that prevent a cure for cancer. My personal donation is small, but I know it will make a difference to someone.”

Vance will continue to collect money for Race for Roses in future years, and until then, he will continue to wear his yellow “Livestrong” wristband.

For more information, or to donate to the Foundation, contact Vance at 478-452-1442.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 16 2005. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry