How You Can Help
Race Across America Story Told at Christmas in July Party for the Children's Cancer Hospital
July 2006The Cheniere Energy Making Cancer History cycling team competed in the Race Across America (RAAM) race for the second year in a row, beginning in Oceanside, California on June 13 and finishing in Atlantic City 8 days, 8 hours, 15 minutes later. Kirk Gentle and Chris Shaw, the two-man Houston team, slept a total of 10 hours during the effort that included climbs of up to 1,900 feet, 48 mile-per-hour headwinds, torrential rains in Kansas and a forest fire in Arizona. They celebrated the accomplishment by joining the children, parents and staff at the Children’s Cancer Hospital at M. D. Anderson for the RAAM Christmas in July party. The Cheniere race project has raised $170,000 for pediatric cancer and neurofibromatosis in the last two years.
Two M. D. Anderson employees filled essential support roles in this year’s race. Shawn Green, a Medical Graphics photographer, was the team navigator and photographer, and Leslie Christison, nurse manager in the Child and Adolescent Center, was the team’s medical support person.
Leslie’s job included administering intravenous fluids every day to keep the team hydrated in the blistering heat, attending cases of altitude sickness (Kirk) and food poisoning (Chris), filling in as a driver or navigator, and reading up on the stringent RAAM requirements laid out in the manual.
"We probably had the best medical set-up in the group thanks to Cheniere’s support and M. D. Anderson’s willingness to let me take the time to accompany them," she says.
Shawn Green echoes the preparedness message from his perspective as the navigator. He says they had excellent navigation and communication devices to let the riders know what was ahead, whether it was road construction, heavy rains or the forest fire that delayed them for an hour and a half. He dreams of having satellite phones next time but adds, “There’s a trade-off which rightly holds down the spending on race equipment. We all want the funds to go to the hospital.”
Shawn and Leslie both ride recreationally and became interested in helping through the team’s visits to the pediatric clinic. He rides the 13.5 miles to work and back every day. Both of them admire Chris’ and Kirk ‘s dedication and fitness, but have no desire to ride in the race, having found the support role demanding enough.
Leslie says, “It was really hard, but worth it. It’s amazingly intense for everyone involved.” Shawn smiles and adds, “I like to enjoy my rides.”