Cycle for Sight May 14 to Benefit UAMS Jones Eye Institute

By Nate Hinkel

The route for the recreational ride includes the paved 14.4-mile River Trail loop, starting and finishing on the North Little Rock riverfront, crossing the Arkansas River via the Big Dam Bridge to the west and the Broadway Bridge downtown.

Pre-registration is $35 for adult riders and $15 for those 18 and under. Cyclists can also register the day of the ride for $40 from 7 to 8:30 a.m., while those 18 and under will still be $15. To pre-register, or for more information, contact Shannon Hughen-Giger at 686-8638 or by e-mail at SHGiger@UAMS.edu. You can also register online at www.cycleforsight2011.eventbrite.com. Proceeds from the event will go toward eye research and outreach at the Jones Eye Institute.

The ride gets under way at 8:30 a.m., and cyclists can make as many loops as they’d like until the event ends at 2:30 p.m. A ride for kids will begin at 10:30 a.m. following an educational session. The start and end of the route is near the Arkansas Queen riverboat, which is located at 100 Riverfront Drive in North Little Rock. Police will be available to help riders through high-traffic areas, and several breaks and aid stations will be scattered along the trail.

Lunch, which is included in the registration fee, live entertainment and a raffle for prizes will be available beginning at 11:30 a.m. Lunch for non-riders is $10. Riders and supporters are encouraged to bring old pairs of eye glasses to be recycled for future outreach efforts.

UAMS is the state’s only comprehensive academic health center, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Related Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a 540,000-square-foot hospital; a statewide network of regional centers; and six institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy, the Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, the Psychiatric Research Institute and the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging. It is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 2,836 students and 761 medical residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including nearly 1,150 physicians who provide medical care to patients at UAMS, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and UAMS’ Area Health Education Centers throughout the state. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com.