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Doing More Bike Tour To Raise Money and Awareness for Children's Charities
Sprague Energy President Biking Over 1,000 Miles for Charity
PORTSMOUTH, NH, May 24, 2007 - This year's National Bike to Work Week is being held from May 16 to May 24th. John McClellan, President and CEO of Sprague Energy, is taking the concept a step further, as for the fourth year he is biking to and from each of Sprague Energy's Northeast terminals to raise money and awareness for a pair of child-oriented charities. The two designated charities, the March of Dimes and the Nashoba Learning Group (NLG), have a strong connection to Sprague and to Mr. McClellan. The ride will support March of Dimes current campaign to research the causes of prematurity and lifelong consequences of premature birth, such as blindness, cerebral palsy and mental retardation. John's wife, Liz Martineau, founded the Nashoba Learning Group, an educational program for people with autism. McClellan is a board member and the treasurer of the school.
McClellan, an avid biker said, "the two charities are making a big difference in the lives of many kids, and their families, and with the support of our contributors, they can help even more!"
Over the course of two weeks, the tour will stop at 15 of Sprague's fuel terminals spanning from Maine to New York. This is the second year for the ride, and will again be divided into two event "legs." The first leg of the tour begins on May 22nd, 2007 at Sprague's Searsport, ME terminal and will conclude on May 25th in White Plains, NY
The second leg will take place from July 23-27, 2007 starting in Oswego, NY and ending in Portsmouth, NH. McClellan noted that the entire ride "is quite simple in concept, although the execution will, no doubt, be somewhat more challenging."
About The March of Dimes The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies and in 2003 launched a campaign to address the increasing rate of premature birth.
For more information, visit the March of Dimes website at marchofdimes.com or its Spanish web site at nacersano.org.
About Autism and the Nashoba Learning Group Autism is a neurological disorder that is complex, and the causes are not well understood. People with autism show three major categories of symptoms: impairments in social interaction; impairments in communication; and the presence of repetitive and restricted patterns of behavior. It usually appears in children between the ages of one and three, and there is no "cure," although aggressive educational therapy offers the best prospects for recovery.
In January 2003, Liz Martineau launched a major initiative in her commitment to help people with autism: supported by some similarly motivated colleagues and parents, opened a non-profit (501 c 3 status) school, Nashoba Learning Group (NLG). NLG's mission is to create the best available educational program for people with autism using proven educational methods -- one-on-one teaching using Applied Behavioral Analysis -- to help children with autism reach their full potential and to participate as fully as possible in family and community activities throughout their lives. NLG is simultaneously looking to expand the existing program and to develop new programs, such as vocational training and supported employment opportunities.
For more information about Nashoba Learning Group, please visit www.nashobalearninggroup.org.
About Sprague Energy Founded in 1870 as a supplier of coal and oil, Sprague has evolved into the Eastern Seaboard's leading resource for industrial, commercial, space heating and transportation fuels, as well as material handling services. Sprague distributes more than 2.5 billion gallons of petroleum products, 160 Bcf (billion cubic feet) of natural gas, and handles in excess of 3 million tons of bulk materials in a safe and environmentally sound manner. Sprague, based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Axel Johnson Inc., a member of the Axel Johnson Group of Stockholm, Sweden.
Please visit Sprague's web site at www.spragueenergy.com.
