LEWISTON — Twenty-four days before actor Patrick Dempsey kicks off his namesake challenge, nearly 3,500 people have registered to walk, run and bicycle with the TV and movie star.

“We’re pretty much on target,” said Wendy Tardif, the event manager for the two-day challenge scheduled for Oct. 2 and 3. “We’re expecting that we’ll have about 4,000 or 4,500 in the end.”

That would mean 500 to 1,000 more participants than 2009’s inaugural challenge, when registration was cut off in mid-September.

“We’re definitely ahead of where we were last year,” Tardif said.

This time, the events have been spread across two days, with the walking and running events on Saturday and the cycling on Sunday. Both days will feature events at Simard-Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston, where there will be live performances on stage, food vendors and kids’ activities. The park will also mark the beginning and ending of every walking, running or cycling route.

Though a clock will mark times, the challenge is noncompetitive.

Last year’s event raised more than $1 million in donations, with more than $700,000 going to the Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope and Healing.

This year, organizers hope to raise more money.

“We have several fundraisers that are over the $5,000 mark,” Tardif said. And many of the donations are still at only a trickle. “We’re pretty much on target for where we would expect to be at this point.”

This time, there are also a lot more sponsors.

The challenge has an official supermarket, Hannaford; an official recycling partner, L.L. Bean; and an official co-recycler and water company, Poland Spring Water Co. Among the returning companies are Gifford’s as the official ice cream and Gritty McDuff’s Brewing Co. as the official brew pub and beer.

For donors, there are more incentives to reach benchmarks, such as a custom-designed jersey for people who raise more than $1,000 and a 5-day-Carnival “Cruise for Hope.” Though anyone may sign up for a single chance to win, people who register for the challenge get a second chance.

This year’s event is again featuring at least three internationally known cyclists: Levi Leipheimer, Chris Horner and returning veteran George Hincapie. All three have competed in multiple Tours de France.

On Tuesday, Tardif said people can still help the challenge by volunteering.

Though 344 people have volunteered already, more are needed as marshals along the event routes and to help with parking. Signs need to be erected, and help is needed in packaging the gifts for the people who run, walk and ride.

“People only need a desire to come out and help us with the event,” Tardif said.

dhartill@sunjournal.com

Copy the Story Link