LEWISTON – Coryn Rivera and Kristin McGrath of the Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 women’s professional cycling team will join actor Patrick Dempsey and thousands of participants in the third annual Dempsey Challenge presented by Amgen.

The run, walk and cycling fundraiser is scheduled for Oct. 8 and 9 in Lewiston.

Rivera, 19, is one of the fastest rising stars of women’s cycling. She began riding at age 10 and is the winningest junior rider in USA history for both men and women. She’s won 32 Junior National Championship titles in road, track and cyclocross; and a pair of bronze Junior World Championship medals. She currently has her sights set on the 2016 Olympics.

McGrath, 29, won Best Young Rider and Best Amateur Rider jerseys at Nature Valley Grand Prix in 2008. She earned her first European podium in 2009 with a third place finish in the Time Trial at La Route de France and capped the season with a top-10 GC finish at Giro della Toscana.

McGrath spent much of 2010 recovering from injuries sustained after being struck by a vehicle during a training ride. She recently won stage and placed third in the GC in the inaugural Aspen/Snowmass Pro Women’s Stage Race.

Rivera and McGrath will join fellow pros Levi Leipheimer and Tom Danielson, and former pros Davis and Connie Phinney in lending support to the event. It raised $1.1 million in 2010 to aid cancer patients, survivors and caregivers with free services offered by The Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope & Healing at Central Maine Medical Center.

The Dempsey Challenge offers an L.L.Bean 5K and 10K run/walk on Oct. 8 and Fundraising Rides presented by Exergy Development Group of 10, 25, 50, 70 and 100 miles on Oct. 9. All events will begin and end at Simard-Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston.

Participants are encouraged to create or join teams to build camaraderie and assist their fundraising efforts. Registration is available through the event website www.dempseychallenge.org.

The weekend will include a free family-friendly Festival in the Park which plays host to the Concentra Health and Wellness Expo, Positive Tracks KidZone, vendor fair and live entertainment. Runners and walkers will enjoy the Hannaford 5 & 10K Café on Oct. 8 while cyclists are invited to take part in a participant lobster bake the following day. The Amgen Breakaway from Cancer Survivor Walk will take place Oct. 8 at 10 a.m.

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