FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


CYCLISTS GET THEIR GUTS IN GEAR
FOR A GOOD CAUSE
Nonprofit Associations Join Forces to Raise Awareness and Funding for Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis

Media Contacts:
Judith Pacitti
GYGIG
646-536-7408
jpacitti@ibdride.org

Chris Faust
PFS Marketwyse on behalf of CCFA
973.812.8883 x231 - Office
973.906.5553 – Mobile
cfaust@pfsmarketwyse.com

NEW YORK, NY – (March 30, 2004) – Over one million children and adults in the United States suffer from Crohn's Disease or Ulcerative Colitis – digestive diseases with varying degrees of severity. To help raise awareness and funding for these complicated intestinal diseases, three non-profit organizations have teamed up to sponsor the Second Annual Get Your Guts in Gear (GYGIG) event – a three-day, 210-mile bicycling tour beginning in New York City and ending in Saratoga Springs, NY, June 11-13, 2004.

Get Your Guts in Gear is producing the event with the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA), The United Ostomy Association and the IBD Quilt Project who support the ride. Over 200 riders are expected to participate in this annual fundraising effort.

"Many people, often young children, have very serious and sometimes debilitating cases of Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis," stated Judith Pacitti, president and ride director of GYGIG. "After I was first diagnosed with Crohn's Disease in 1999, I made it my mission to do whatever I could to combat these diseases."

Pacitti added, "I had ridden my bike for literally thousands of miles in support of AIDS and MS research, yet I had never even heard of Crohn's Disease. Had I known about this illness, I believe I could have obtained a proper diagnosis more quickly and potentially averted surgery."

Riders will cycle an average of 70 miles each day, making two overnight stops. Each cyclist is required to raise a minimum of $1,850 to participate in the event. A dedicated, all-volunteer crew will support the riders by providing meals, route support at fully-stocked rest stops and baggage transportation between camps. Day Volunteers will also assist with the event preparations and production. To register as a rider for the event or become a volunteer, visit www.ibdride.org.




About the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA)
Founded in 1967, the mission of CCFA is to cure and prevent Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis through research, and to improve the quality of life for children and adults affected by these digestive diseases through education and support. Of the one million Americans who suffer from Inflammatory Bowel Disease, approximately 100,000 are children under the age of 18.

To date, CCFA has invested nearly $250 million in research, patient education and support services. Chapters nationwide offer educational seminars and support groups. Nearly 82 cents of every dollar the foundation spends goes directly to research and education programs. CCFA consistently meets the standards of organizations that monitor charities, such as the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance. For more information on CCFA, Crohn's or Ulcerative Colitis, visit www.ccfa.org or call 1-800-932-2423.

About The United Ostomy Association:
The United Ostomy Association is a volunteer-based health organization dedicated to providing education, information, support and advocacy for people who have or will have intestinal or urinary diversions. UOA publishes patient care guides and a quarterly journal, the Ostomy Quarterly; conducts conferences and an annual Youth Rally; advocates to affect reimbursement of and access to ostomy products; and has an award-winning Web site at www.uoa.org. More than 400 community-based chapters provide support and patient visiting at the local level.

About the IBD Quilt Project, Inc.:
IBD Quilt Project, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that raises awareness about Inflammatory Bowel Disease by making quilt panels from individual patient-created squares. These IBD quilt panels travel the country at various events to create tangible awareness of IBD illnesses and the more than 1 million lives these auto-immune bowel diseases affect and disable.

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