“As a contributing participant, this is a wonderful event to be a part of because supporting stroke education will keep people alive,” Holtgrewe said. “I have ridden the 35-mile route each year as part of our Auxiliary team. As a cyclist, this is a great time to be out for a ride. It rarely is hot and humid this time of year.”
Baptist will host its sixth Spokes for Strokes bike tour on Saturday, June 3, to raise stroke awareness, along with funds for life-saving technologies and expanded stroke care services.
Spokes for Strokes will begin at 7 am with registration at Baptist Health Imaging Center on the west end of campus at 2705 Kentucky Ave., followed by the tour at 8 am. Registration at active.com is $25 for an individual, $40 for couples and $50 for a family for four.
The bike tour offers 10, 35 or 65-mile rides through southern McCracken, Marshall and Graves counties. The longest ride includes challenging hills and five rest stops. The 35-mile ride is less hilly with three rest stops. The short ride is completely flat and stays in McCracken County. It includes one rest stop. All rides will be followed by support vehicles. Helmets are required.
May is American Stroke Month, and a good time to learn how to detect a stroke using the acronym F.A.S.T:
• F - Face Drooping: Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile.
• A - Arm Weakness: Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
• S - Speech Difficulty: Is speech slurred, are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand?
• T - Time to call 9-1-1: If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get them to the hospital immediately.
Additional stroke signs include sudden severe headache with no known cause; sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes, or sudden confusion or trouble understanding.
“We will continue to focus on public education, so people of all ages know they should call 9-1-1 immediately if they see anyone experiencing signs of a stroke,” said Joseph Ashburn, MD, stroke center director. “Time saved is brain saved, so if they seek immediate treatment, the effects of stroke may be reduced or even reversed.”
For more information about Spokes for Strokes, phone 270-575-2851.
