2015 Tour de Cure Pilot Century Riders: From left, Mike Weerasinghe (Spirit), Andy Kullick (Alaska), Joe Lenney (Alaska), Brad Maas (Delta), T.J. Seemann (SkyWest), Erich Hess (United), Ryan Perrin (ExpressJet), Aaron Guffey (Delta), and David Edmonds (Atlantic Southeast).

On April 25, 2011, Paige Maas, age seven, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and soon discovered she’d be spending the rest of her life meticulously managing her blood sugar level—that is unless a cure can be found. Finding that cure has become the mission of F/O Brad Maas (Delta), Paige’s dad. Since Maas isn’t a doctor, he decided to focus his talents on fundraising and established Paige’s Pilots, a cycling team that each year participates in the Century Ride near Portland, Ore., to raise money for the American Diabetes Association (ADA).

“I started the team in 2012, and it basically consisted of my family of four plus F/Os Erich Hess [United] and Andy Kullick [Alaska],” recalled Maas. “The six of us barely broke $5,000, but we had a lot of fun and decided to keep it going.”

Tour de Cure

The Century Ride, part of the ADA’s Tour de Cure circuit, is a summertime 104-mile bike “distance challenge” that starts and ends in Hillsboro, Ore., and takes about seven hours to complete. The meandering route takes participants past the rolling hills of Washington and Yamhill Counties, winding through farms, vineyards, and quaint little towns like Forest Grove and Gaston. Rest stops are positioned approximately every 15 to 20 miles and feature specialty beverages and food that riders look forward to each year.

Not everyone who bikes for Paige’s Pilots is a pilot, but airline aviators are well represented. The team had 42 cyclists taking part in last summer’s ride, including pilots from eight different airlines. And members come from all over the country to participate. Hess traveled all the way from his home in Doylestown, Pa.

Maas noted that some of the pilots have personal reasons for joining. “Capt. Mark Buzzell’s [Virgin America] daughter, Makayla, was also diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. They became members of the team in 2013 and have been biking with us ever since.”

Over the last five years, Paige’s Pilots has raised more than $100,000 for the ADA. The bulk of this money has come from personal donations. However, Maas also engages businesses in the community, like a local brewer that one weekend last month agreed to donate $2 from each purchase to the cause. The Seattle-based B-757/767 pilot added that “Alaska Airlines has been extremely generous, providing financial support through a matching-gifts program.”

Maas has set $4,000 as his own personal fundraising goal for this year’s event, which takes place on July 29.

Ending diabetes

Funds raised from the Century Ride go to support diabetes research and prevention initiatives, as well as programs to help people living with the disease. Type 1, the condition that Paige and Makayla have, is an autoimmune disorder that prevents the body from producing insulin, a hormone needed to convert sugar, starches, and other foods to energy. According to the ADA, “About 1.25 million Americans have Type 1 diabetes, and an estimated 40,000 people will be newly diagnosed each year in the United States.”

Those with Type 2 diabetes can produce insulin, but their cells resist or reject it. While Type 1 is genetic, steps can be taken to help prevent the onset of Type 2. Regardless of the type of diabetes, the condition, if not properly treated, can lead to heart disease, blindness, and other debilitating—and sometimes deadly—health issues.

With the start date of the Century Ride approaching, Paige’s Pilots team members have begun lining up for this year’s event. In addition to longtime regulars Hess, Kullick, and Buzzell, ALPA members Capt. Charlie Cutter (Delta), F/O David Edmonds (Atlantic Southeast), F/O Tony Fletcher (Delta), F/O Aaron Guffey (Delta), F/O Joe Lenny (Alaska), F/O Ryan Perrin (ExpressJet), F/O Jon Peterson (United), and F/O Justin Weier (Alaska) have signed up.

Interested in joining them? Maas stressed there’s no limit to the team’s size, and all are welcome.