Charity Co-founders Apologize for Lance Armstrong Related Prank

An April Fool's Day prank went sour this morning when organizers of an annual charity event  found themselves apologizing to the press and the Lance Armstrong Foundation for the distribution of a bogus news release.

The early morning e-mail, sent on behalf of the 2010 Connecticut Challenge (www.ctchallenge.org.), alerted recipients that Lance Armstrong would participate in the annual bike-riding event, which funds cancer-related research.

The prank release, distributed at 8:25 a.m. by Bob Mazzone, executive director of the Connecticut Challenge,  stated that Armstrong, a seven-time tour de France winner,  would ride in the 2010 Connecticut Challenge on Saturday, July 24, in Fairfield.

In the prank release, Armstrong was quoted as saying, "Since 2005, I have been watching the Connecticut Challenge with great admiration and have always wanted to join my fellow cyclists and cancer survivors on the hills of Connecticut.  This year, my schedule finally permits me to ride.  I am really looking forward to riding in the cancer survivors Lap of Honor before the ride."

The release went on to say that Armstrong's Connecticut itinerary would include visits to several hospitals and even some bike shops across the state.

A link at the bottom of Mazzone's e-mail invited the recipient to read more about the upcoming event. That link took the reader to a message that said "April Fools! ...but you never know who will show up. Register today.  Jersey deadline is May 1."

Within an hour, Mazzone sent a second release that stated: "This press release was an April Fools prank.  I regret any confusion it may have caused.  That was not my intention."

Charity co-founders John Ragland, of Westport, and Jeff Keith, of Fairfield, issued a separate statement that read … "Jeff and I would like to apologize for the 'April Fools' e-mail you received regarding Lance Armstrong this morning. Neither of us knew anything about the message that was created by our executive director, Bob Mazzone, and do not endorse this type of communication."

The statement continued, "We have reached out to Mr. Armstrong and his foundation to extend our sincere regrets and apologies. We have great respect for the relationships we have with all of our supporters and honor the trust you put in us to lead this organization. We will not tolerate any future communications that are inaccurate or not factual in content and will address this matter internally to ensure this type of incident never happens again."

The mission of The Connecticut Challenge is "to bring vital support to the millions of unserved survivors trying to take control of their battle against the disease and the long-term side effects of treatments."

 The intent of the organization is to  investigate the long-term effects of cancer and cancer treatments on survivors and provide credible information and comprehensive resources that empower cancer survivors to lead healthier, happier and longer lives.

As part of its fund-raising efforts, The Connecticut Challenge enlists bicycle enthusiasts to participate in 12-, 25-, 50-, 75- or 100-mile bike rides while raising funds for cancer survivor treatment.

About the Connecticut Challenge

Ragland and Keith founded The Connecticut Challenge in 2005 to create the first of its kind survivorship clinic in the State of Connecticut. 

 Keith is a pediatric cancer survivor, athlete, and long-time fundraiser for cancer research. Ragland is a serious cyclist and business entrepreneur.  

In January 2005, Keith visited the David B. Perini Quality of Life Clinic at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, where doctors, nurses and aggressive chemotherapy treatments saved his life 35 years ago. The Perini Clinic is a specialized clinic for survivors of childhood cancer, a unique and progressive concept when it opened in 1993. After an extensive examination and multiple visits, Keith left the clinic smarter about the long-term effects of his cancer treatments and was determined that survivors in Connecticut should have access to the same quality of care without leaving the state. 

 Keith and  Ragland chose to partner with the Yale Cancer Center, with a proposal to jointly develop a survivorship clinic, which the Connecticut Challenge would help to subsidize with the proceeds from a charity bike ride.

The Connecticut Challenge Survivorship Clinic at Yale Cancer Center became a reality in 2006, opening its doors each week to welcome cancer survivors. The concept of a survivorship clinic was new and patients had little idea what to expect from their visit to the clinic, but their motivations were strikingly similar. They had come through their diagnosis and treatment under the careful, watchful eye of skilled doctors and nurses, but in the post-treatment phase, they were left with little information about what to expect next and trying to piece together their own care plan.

Shortly after the adult clinic opened, the Connecticut Challenge began supporting the state's first clinic for survivors of childhood cancers, the HEROS Clinic (Health, Education, Research, Outcomes, Survivors), also at Yale Cancer Center.

  
Much of cancer survivorship care is about empowering people to take control of their lives and their health back from a horrible disease.  The Connecticut Challenge Survivorship Clinic and the HEROS Clinic have helped hundreds of cancer survivors to understand the many challenges they face, or may face, and to chart a healthy course forward.

According ot the Connecticut Challenge Web site, "hundreds" does not begin to reach the number of survivors who could benefit from access to comprehensive survivorship care. The number of survivors in Connecticut is estimated at 120,000 and growing.

To address the needs of this vastly greater audience, in May of 2009 the Connecticut Challenge launched a new initiative, the Connecticut Challenge Survivorship Network, working in partnership with hospitals and community organizations across the state to ensure that survivors across Connecticut have access to comprehensive survivorship programs within their local communities.