Trans-NH Bike Ride – cycling to end muscular dystrophy.
The Trans-NH Bike Ride is a fully supported 1, 2, or 3-day exploration of New Hampshire roads, scenery, and fire stations. Its mission is to raise funds and awareness for people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases.
Every June, cyclists, firefighters, support volunteers, and members of the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) community come together to traverse New Hampshire – rain or shine – to support a shared vision: accelerate research, advance care, and advocate for the support of MDA families. We fundraise, connect with our community, recognize the hardships of these diseases, and ride to support the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s mission to empower the people they serve to live longer, more independent lives.
The cause, the camaraderie, the support and the challenge make the Trans-NH Bike Ride a very special ride — unlike one you’ll find anywhere else.
All proceeds from the ride go directly to the Muscular Dystrophy Association to fund research, summer camps, and other services for those affected by muscular dystrophy. To date, the Trans-NH Bike Ride has contributed more than $2.9 million to MDA’s mission.
Learn more about the different types of muscular dystrophy including Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD), Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EDMD), and others.
Mission
Partnering with firefighters to help the Muscular Dystrophy Association until the diseases are cured.
Since its founding in 1988, the Trans-NH Bike Ride’s mission is to raise funds and awareness for people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases. Riders show support by cycling many miles of New Hampshire roads – in all weather conditions – to show support for those living with muscular dystrophy who face challenges daily.
The Trans-NH Bike Ride is the only charity ride in the United States that was founded by fire fighters that directly supports the MDA. The spirit of those founding members to persevere against all odds during that first ride in 1988 continues today with new members joining the community each year to take the firefighters’ challenge.
History
The Trans-NH Bike Ride began in 1988 with 9 firefighters (8 riders, 1 support) and 2 citizen support volunteers who set themselves the goal of riding from the Canadian border to the Massachusetts state line in Salem, NH. Encouraged by the success of their annual “Fill the Boot” drive, these firefighters felt compelled to take their efforts a step further and go the extra distance to raise funds and awareness for muscular dystrophy.
Supported along the way by their firefighter brethren, they persisted despite torrential downpour, hail, and winds that pushed them physically as well as mentally. That ride proved that the challenges they faced were insignificant compared to what children and adults with muscular dystrophy face every day.
The ride has since grown into a larger community that includes citizens from around the U.S. who ride for the cause, persons living with muscular dystrophy, and firefighters across New Hampshire. For nearly 40 years, cyclists, volunteers, and firefighters return for the same reasons that compelled the original crew. And new faces join every year to accept the firefighters’ challenge.