Friday, June 20, 2008

Riding for a cause

Cross-country voyage raising funds for canine cancer research

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By TONY EVANS
Express Staff Writer

Ted Shneck passed through the Wood River Valley last weekend during his cross-country ride to raise money for canine cancer treatment.

A bicyclist with a cause arrived in Ketchum last weekend after pedaling 18 days from the Oregon coast. He had the wind at his back and was on a mission. Ted Schneck braved the cold wind and rain of a late spring to raise money for the treatment of canine cancer.

"The bike path from Bellevue to Ketchum has to be the most beautiful ride I have been on so far," he said.

Schneck took a detour from his highway route to the East Coast to visit the Wood River Valley, staying with friends in Ketchum. On Monday morning, he saddled up for two more months of riding. His final destination is Virginia Beach, on the Atlantic coast.

Schneck undertook his 4,281-mile bicycle odyssey in order to raise $100,000 for three charities dedicated to the treatment of canine cancer. By the time he hit Ketchum, he had raised about $8,000.

"You don't know what joy is until you actually dance for joy because your dog can simply chase a Frisbee in the park," Schneck said Monday.

Schneck's golden retriever, Marty, fell ill with a tumor in his mouth several years ago and was given three to six months to live. Veterinarians advised radiation treatments at once. Schneck opted for the "holistic" treatments offered by a Portland, Ore., veterinarian, including a raw meat diet, nutritional supplements, Reiki and homeopathic medicine.

"It was the homeopathy that really turned things around for Marty," said Schneck. "He lived another 18 months, and during that time we had some of the best moments ever together."

Schneck, who works for the nonprofit Global Giving in Portland, wrote a book about his experiences with Marty. "Curing Canine Cancer: Natural Cancer Treatments that Work" is available by visiting dogcancerride.com on the Web.