- May 19, 2007

The RMHC Cycling Invitational started three years ago when Rob Cunningham, a member of our Board of Directors, asked friends, family and co-workers to sponsor him in a 100 mile bike ride in support of the House. Last year he gathered 12 riders to join him in this effort and they raised over $32,000 for the House.
This year 25 riders have established a goal of $50,000. Your support will ensure these dedicated riders reach their goal in support of our families.

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Austin and Central Texas is hosting the 2007 Cycling Invitational on May 19. The ride includes a Medical Director and EMT, three SAG teams and two mechanics, one of which worked for the US Postal Service Race Team.

In addition to financial support generated for the event, Ronald McDonald House has incorporated numerous volunteer opportunities for the community. Opportunities range from handing out rest stop supplies along the course to cooking hamburgers at the After-Ride party. All funds raised through the Invitational will go directly to support the Ronald McDonald House and the over 300 families we serve each year through the House and our other programs.

Donation can be made via check, cash, or online. Our post-ride party will include food, drinks, and live entertainment. Come out and support your favorite rider!

Ronald McDonald House of Austin 2007 Board Invitational Cyclist Biographies

	RICHARD AGNEW - Richard Agnew is a litigation associate with Jackson Walker L.L.P. in Austin. A competitive cyclist since college, Richard jumped at a chance to combine his love of the bike with such a great cause as the RMH. Richard and his wife Brandy are involved with several Texas charities and non-profits such as Happy Hill farm in Granbury. Richard was first exposed to the work that RMH does in Austin through Carla Cox as well as Kurt Joseph and is excited to have this opportunity to help too. Click here to support Richard Agnew.
	SEAN AHMADI - Sean is a USA Cycling Expert Level Coach and a USA Triathlon Level II certified Coach. Sean has coached mountain bikers, road cyclists, and multi-sport athletes since 1999. Sean founded the training clinic for Danskin Triathlon beginners in 2000. Sean is eager to assist all the riders on the 2006 Invitational team to have the best ride for Ronald McDonald House they can. Click here to support Sean Ahmadi.
	JIM ALSUP - James Alsup is a partner in the Real Estate and Business Transactions sections of Jackson Walker. Jim is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Austin Parks Foundation and has served numerous local agencies in a leadership capacity. He also served as Committee Counsel for the State Affairs Committee of the Texas Senate. Jim is an avid rider and is looking forward to supporting Ronald McDonald House and our invitational. Click here to support Jim Alsup.
	SAM ARCHER - Sam Archer is a real estate agent with Hindsite 20/20 Real Estate Investments in Austin. Since 1990, Sam's been a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala - helping communities in Central America develop technologies to improve their quality of life - to a public servant with both the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission and then Capital Metro. Sam first got exposed to the work that RMH does in Austin through Rob Cunningham and decided he wanted to help too. Click here to support Sam Archer.
	FARZAD AZIMPOUR - Farzad Azimpour is completing his final year of medical school at The University of Texas before beginning his residency training at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. He has completed all clinical rotations at Brackenridge and The Children's Hospital of Austin. Farzad was a member of the UT Cycling Club during college, and since moving back to Austin, he has ridden with the Austin Brain & Spine/Neurosciences at Brackenridge Cycling Club and Gruppo VOP. He is honored to support the Ronald McDonald House's mission. Click here to support Farzad Azimpour.
	BEN BASH - Ben Bash is a long-time Austinite who recently moved to Houston where he works as a corporate lawyer for an energy company. He has been cycling for over 3 years and is excited to participate in an Austin ride for a great Austin charity. Despite the move, Ben remains committed to Austin's non-profit community. Ben served as a CASA of Travis County volunteer, United Way Capital Area YLS member and was active in his church. Now in Houston, Ben and family support their local church and the Houston Zoo. Click here to support Ben Bash.
	ARNIE BURTTSCHELL - Arnie is originally from Stephenville, Texas. He now lives in Pebble Beach, California with wife, Heather, and 3 yr old son, Skye. Arnie imports home furnishings from Bali, Indonesia and Mexico and owns Retail galleries in Fredericksburg, Tx., Carmel, Ca., and Walnut Creek, Ca. Arnie is looking forward to coming back to Texas to ride 100 miles for the Ronald McDonald House. Can't wait!!!! Click here to support Arnie Burttschell.
	HEATHER BURTTSCHELL - Heather Burttschell was born in California where she still resides with her husband Arnie and son Skye. Heather is a massage therapist and an essential oil specialist. Heather is 37 years old and according to her husband is an incredible mom. She Loves life, is a "dead head" and loves to spread peace, love, happiness to everyone she meets. Heather is very excited to ride the Century for such a great cause like the Ronald McDonald House of Austin. Click here to support Heather Burttschell.
	REED CLEMONS - Born and raised in Houston, Reed came to Austin in 1979 to attend UT. After college and following his culinary passion, Reed attended culinary school in New York. He opened his first restaurant, the Granite Cafe with his wife Betsy in 1987. Since then he has opened a variety of concept restaurants in Austin and San Antonio, most recently Reed’s Supper Club in 2002 and Capitol Brasserie in 2005. Currently, he is operating Reed’s Supper Club and working on a new wine bar concept. Reed cites his major accomplishments as raising three wonderful kids, having a wife of 23 years that keeps him in line, opening some of the most cutting edge restaurants in Austin and recently completing an Ironman in Brazil. He is looking forward to adding the 100 mile RMHC Invitational Bike Ride to this list. Click here to support Reed Clemons.
	JOSE CORTEZ - Doctor Cortez has been a Pediatric Urologist in Austin since 1992. As Senior partner of Children's Urology, he is active in the surgical care of infants and children. He and his wife (Dr. Celia Neavel) juggle the busy life of medicine and family. In love with children, they have three of their own: Elizabeth (19), Elena (16), and Geordi (13). His passion for cycling started on an old MotoBecane while at Baylor College of Medicine in 1981. He has followed the Tour de France through the Pyrenees and Alps in 2002 and 2004. He has cycled France, Spain, Italy and Maui. His favorite climbs are the Alpe d' Huez, Col du Galibier , Col du Tourmalet and Mount Ventoux. His cycling heroes are Eddy Merckxx, Miguel Indurain and Lance Armstrong. His biggest challenge to date is to help the Ronald Mcdonald House surpass their fundraising goal in the next few weeks. Let's help him do it. Click here to support Jose Cortez.
	ROB CUNNINGHAM - Rob Cunningham is the Director of Community Relations for KTBC TV - FOX 7 Austin and has served on the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Austin and Central Texas Board of Directors since 2005. Rob helped organize this event for the house and has big plans for the ride in the future. Rob's wife Amy will serve as the rest stop coordinator and his two son's Finn, 8, and Barton, 5, will help mom all day long. Click here to support Rob Cunningham.
	KAREN FROST - Karen Frost is principal and owner of Frost Media Relations, a public relations consulting firm, which she founded in 1998. Karen serves on the board of Leadership Austin and the women's philanthropy group, Impact Austin. Karen also serves as alumni president of the Bob Schieffer School Journalism at Texas Christian University. Recently, Karen was selected out of 75 nominations to be one of five women chosen for the 2006 Austin Business Journal Profiles in Power Award - a local woman in business award. Karen was raised in Houston, but has spent a number of years living in Dallas, Fort Worth and Washington, D.C. Since April 2002, she has claimed Austin as home and lives in the central part of town with her long red dog, Hogan. Click here to support Karen Frost.
	LARRY GRAHAM - Larry Graham is manager of customer service for Texas Gas Service in Austin. Larry has enjoyed riding bicycles for many years. He rode from Maine to Seattle after college graduation and more impressively a 220 mile trip he and then 5 year old daughter Lauren took across Missouri a couple of summers ago on the Katy Trail. Lauren was riding a trail-a-bike, attached to Larry's bike. This past December Larry became interested in supporting the Ronald McDonald House when his daughter Lauren's 1st grade teacher used the services of the RMH when her 2-year old daughter was hospitalized. Larry is excited to help support the RMH and support their beloved teacher. Click here to support Larry Graham.
	DAVID GRUNDY- David Grundy has been a pediatrician in Austin for the past 20 years. He first maintained a private practice, but for the past four years has seen newborns at the St. David’s Medical Center nursery. He is currently serving as Chief of Pediatrics at St. David’s and continues a life-long interest in bio-medical ethics. He and his wife Janet have two children; Diane, a junior at Lewis and Clark College, and Brian, who graduates from McCallum High School this year. Click here to support David Grundy.
	RICHARD HOLT - Richard Holt, M.D., received his BA from Yale University in 1966 and went on to the University of Texas Medical Branch were he earned his Doctor of Medicine. Dr. Holt's areas of interest include the care of hospitalized children and medical education. Click here to support Richard Holt.
	KURT JOSEPH - Kurt Joseph and his family enjoy living, working and volunteering in the Austin community. He works as a principal member of technical staff at AT&T Labs, performing usability research and testing new technology. He has volunteered for the past five years as a member of the Steering Committee for the Lance Armstrong Foundation's Ride for the Roses Weekend. He has been a recreational cyclist for nearly 20 years and he is very pleased to support the mission of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Austin and Central Texas. Click here to support Kurt Joseph.
	JOEL LANGE - Joel Lange is a portfolio manager with Bank of America. He and his family are recent transplants to Austin (from St. Louis) and consider themselves fortunate to have landed in another generous and giving community. Joel has been cycling since 1987 and looks forward to supporting the many families served by Ronald McDonald House by participating in this year's ride. Click here to support Joel Lange.
	GEORGE LINDENBERG - George Lindenberg is the Director of Business Development with Clean Scapes, LP, a commercial landscaping company based in Austin. He began cycling about 4 years ago and is looking forward to the Ronald McDonald House ride. He and his wife, Mary, have 2 children. Their son, Chris, will be graduating from Westlake High School this year and attending Baylor University in the fall and their daughter, Madison, is in the 3rd grade in Barton Creek Elementary. They all consider themselves very fortunate to call Austin home. Click here to support George Lindenberg.
	MARTHA MEDLOCK - Martha Medlock is a 7th grade English/language arts teacher at Lake Travis Middle School. When she's not writing, reading, or working with other teachers, she is in training to complete century rides for charity (Ronald McDonald Ride and the Livestrong Ride). She has achieved several athletic goals since she turned 38: completed the Distance Challenge and Freescale Marathon, several half-marathons and triathlons, as well as the MS150 ride from Houston to Austin. Martha is excited to be on Ronald McDonald Team for the second straight year and thanks the support of the Lake Travis Middle School Gov Club for making this ride their annual charity project. One mile at a time to erect one brick at a time: building a home away from home. Click here to support Martha Medlock.
	ALICIA POST - Alicia Post has been in Austin for 11 years and enjoys her career as an independent Art Director/Graphic Designer. She began cycling about 3 years ago and often spends time on the weekends exploring Austin's scenic back roads. In addition, she is passionate about spending time with family and friends, travel, art, and many outdoor sports. Alicia is honored to have been a part of the First Ronald McDonald House Board Invitational last year and looks forward to raising further awareness of this admirable organization by taking part in the 2nd annual ride. Click here to support Alicia Post.
	TODD REED - Todd Reed is a partner in the Business Transactions section of Jackson Walker. Todd serves as general counsel to the Central and South Texas Minority Business Council. Todd is an avid rider and a director for Team Hotel San Jose Racing, an Austin-based organization that fields one of the top pro 1/2 road racing teams in the southwest and provides numerous community programs including spin classes at the Texas School for the Blind and road and mountain bike racing programs for junior riders throughout Austin. He is very excited to join Ronald McDonald House in their ride to support families. Click here to support Todd Reed.
	JAMISON STEWART - Bio unavailable Click here to support Jamison Stewart.
	BILL STREUSAND - Bill Streusand decided to become a child psychiatrist at the age of 8 having sought a career where he could play with toys in his office and remain a kid a heart. He has devoted his life to mental health issues focusing on children and adolescents. He has, in addition to a full time practice, become the chief attending of Child Psychiatry at Children's Hospital where he enjoys teaching both residents and medical students. Every Thursday morning for the past 5 years he donates his time to the People's Community Clinic. He is an avid cyclist, guitar player, and song writer and his wife, Sabrina, is really crazy about him, (in the best way since she wrote this). Click here to support Bill Streusand.
	CHARLIE TAMES - Charlie has been at Merrill Lynch in Austin for 7 years as an Assistant Vice President and International Financial Advisor. He is also the president of Tames Partners, LP, a commercial real estate development company based in Austin. Charlie has been racing bikes for 18 years and is currently a category 1 rider. Charlie has quite a bit of international racing experience having raced in Mexico and Europe as part of Viveros Alcanar Cycling team in Spain in 1992 and later as a member of US National Spoirs Team in 1997. He was a member of US team at the Pan American Games in 2001, where he finished 4th in the criterium and 8th in the time trial. He briefly turned pro with Whole-Foods Cycling team in 2000. He tries to stay as competitive as possible on the bike although work seems to get in the way! Charlie is looking forward to May's ride for the House. Click here to support Charlie Tames.