From left to right: Grady EMS Bike Team Coordinator Jason Powell; Atlanta Track Club Executive Director Tracey Russell; Grady EMS Bike Team Member Tracy Vogt; AJC Peachtree Road Race Medical Director
Dr. Joe Wilson; GradyEMSBike Team Member Brett Anderson
Atlanta Track Club Donates $15,000 to Grady Health Foundation
Donation in Support of the Bicycle EMT Program
Atlanta, September 27, 2012 – The Atlanta Track Club (ATC), organizer of the world’s largest 10K, the AJC Peachtree Road Race, presented Grady Health Foundation with a $15,000 donation to continue its support of the Grady Bicycle EMT program. The bicycle team is comprised of Grady Health System EMTs and paramedics who provide various levels of emergency medical care to runners participating in the annual AJC Peachtree Road Race on the Fourth of July. The Atlanta Track Club has sponsored the Grady Bicycle EMT program since its inception in 2003 and to date has donated more than $135,000 to the program.
“The Atlanta Track Club focuses annually on executing a flawless AJC Peachtree Road Race. The Grady EMS bike team has had the privilege of meeting this expectation by ensuring rapid response to any injury or crisis during the race for nine years. The club's unyielding support of the bike team demonstrates their commitment to the runners' safety as well as their investment in metroAtlanta's most experienced emergency response team,” said Lisa Borders, president of the Grady Health Foundation.
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The Grady Bicycle EMT program currently has 24 members and 12 fully equipped bikes. Each bike holds 55 pounds of equipment including IV bags, oxygen, AED bandaging equipment, pharmaceuticals and airway equipment enabling the Bicycle EMT team to serve as first-responders. All bike medics are required to complete training based on International Police/EMS Mountain Bike Association laws andGeorgiabicycle traffic laws.
“We would not have a successful AJC Peachtree Road Race without the support of the Grady Bicycle EMT program,” said Tracey Russell, executive director of the Atlanta Track Club. “We are extremely grateful for their medical knowledge and for keeping everyone safe on race day.”
Along with the AJC Peachtree Road Race, the Grady Bicycle EMT members also provide first response support to other large-scale events in Atlanta including Centennial Olympic Park, Atlanta Pride Festival and Macy’s Great Tree Lighting.
About the Atlanta Track Club
The Atlanta Track Club (ATC) is a nonprofit organization established to inspire and engage the community to achieve health and fitness through running. With more than 18,000 members, the ATC is the second largest running organization in the United States. In addition to the AJC Peachtree Road Race (peachtreeroadrace.org) – the largest 10K running event in the world, the Atlanta Marathon and Marathon Relay (atlantamarathon.org), and the Atlanta Half Marathon and Thanksgiving Day 5K (atlantahalfmarathon.org), the Atlanta Track Club directs more than 25 running events per year. Through the support of its members and volunteers, the Atlanta Track Club also maintains a number of community initiatives including organizing and promoting the Kilometer Kids youth running program to metro Atlanta youth, honoring high school cross country and track and field athletes through the ATC’s All-Metro Banquets and supporting the Grady Bicycle EMT program. For more information on the Atlanta Track Club, visit atlantatrackclub.org.
About Grady Health System
Grady Health System is one of the largest public health systems in theUnited States. Grady consists of the 953-bedGradyMemorialHospital, six neighborhood health centers,CrestviewHealth & RehabilitationCenter, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spalding, which is operated as a Children's affiliate.
With its nationally acclaimed Emergency Department and Burn Center, Grady has the premier level I trauma center in the region and serves as the 911 ambulance provider for the city ofAtlanta. The state's only poison center is housed at Grady as well.
The Marcus Stroke and Neuroscience Center, Grady Diabetes Center, Georgia Cancer Center for Excellence, Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center and the Avon Breast Health Center are also notable components of the health system. Additionally, Grady's Ponce de Leon Center was named one of the top three HIV/AIDS outpatient clinics in the country.
Other key services include Grady's Regional Perinatal Center and its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the Primary Care Center, dedicated 60 Plus services for older adults, Teen Services and the Rape Crisis Center. Nationally ranked in one specialty, Grady was named one ofAtlanta’s Best Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report.
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