I hope you all take time to read this about my brother. I must say that I think he is an incredible man and I hope this helps him some. I know we are all poor but you really don't have to donate a lot, even if all you can give is a few dollars, we will be very grateful and you will be helping a great cause! You can go to the official Ride for World Health website:
http://www.rideforworldhealth.org/ and visit his personal link:
www.rideforworldhealth.org/theriders/kramirez.html
Kem will be riding from Phoenix to San Diego (about 500 miles) the last week of March to meet the team and get in shape on the way. Then the team will ride to Washington D.C. (some 3,700 miles), making major stops along the way which include; San Diego, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Ceder City, Denver, Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield, Columbus, and Washington D.C.
If anyone in the corporate world sponsors R4WH, they can have their logo in ALL advertising media.
The same Videographer who did Lance Armstrong's Tour of Hope Documentary is doing a documentary on the ride, so this will be great advertisement for any company!
Ride for World Health (R4WH) is a national, nonprofit organization that advocates for improvements in the quality and accessibility of global health care. Each year, by utilizing a cross-country bike ride as a vehicle of communication, R4WH addresses this issue through political advocacy, fund raising, and its unique Coast-to-Coast Lecture Series. This year the trip will take place the first week in April and the bikers will travel across the country from San Diego to Washington D.C. This year the money raised will be donated to Doctors Without Borders.
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING!!!
When you meet an amazingly selfless, driven person it is hard to forget them. Their love for God, family, and the world they live in is inspiring. I would like you to meet KEM RAMIREZ. Despite personal ups and downs on his own personal road of life, this bike rider is driven to hit the road once again for those in need as he rides for world health. Let me share his story with you.
Kem was born in Lima Peru on September 23, 1981. He was born to a good family who valued education and good character. Kem went to grade school in Peru and always excelled in his academic studies. He was always at the top of his class. He loved math and was always good at it. From an early age Kem was compassionate and was aware of the people around him. When Kem was 9, his parents divorced. This has been an event in his life that has shaped who he is in many ways. One of the big changes came when his mom decided to bring his family to the United States, where he had 2 aunts and an uncle who lived in Florida. His mom felt that moving to the U.S. would take them away from the negative atmosphere that existed because of the divorce. Kem’s mother worked in the United States until she could afford to bring over her 2 daughters and son. These were difficult financial times for his family; his divorced mom now had to clean houses in Miami to support Kem and his 2 sisters. Finances were always tight. Once in the United Stats he struggled as he learned English, but he succeeded at it with the help of school and his church.
He started in the 7th grade, and although it was a huge change he also succeeded here in his academic studies. In high school, he excelled in math and science. He also loved his piano class and competed, placing first many times. Kem also loved to draw and is very good at it. Kem graduated with a 3.9 GPA from high school and was accepted to Brigham Young University. At the young age of 17 he ventured out to Provo, Utah with $20 in his pocket, a suitcase full of clothes, and a dream to gain an education. With the help of scholarships and other financial aid Kem was able to pay for his schooling. He also worked during all 4 years doing custodial work for the University at 4am in the morning to be able to buy food and other necessities. The road to obtaining his Bachelor’s degree was rough financially and he was seldom able to go home for Thanksgiving and Christmas because money was tight.
Putting his education on hold, and despite the financial hardships of his family, he chose to save his own money and serve a mission for his church. At 19, Kem served a Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While serving on his mission, he broke his back. To this day he still has back problems, but rarely complains.
During college Kem’s curiosity for the world around him grew and the desire to help others also grew. Kem decided to major in Public Health. Through his major he was able to travel the world. His first international experience came when he went to Peru and Bolivia conducting a health study with BYU. He helped to educate mothers on how to properly care for their infants. He taught them that breastfeeding is best. Many babies in South America get sick and die because of terrible water supply when feeding them formula. Since then, he has been to countries like Thailand and India. In Thailand he volunteered with a wheelchair foundation and while there he biked across the country and developed a passion for biking. Last summer he also traveled to India where he designed and implemented a health study at a local non-profit organization in South India. He traveled across the country studying major religions of the world. He then returned to Southeast Asia and biked across Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos. Through the pain of a once-broken back he manages to bike all over the world. In his travels, he constantly advocates for those who are in need. During his travels Kem has developed an amazing talent for photography and has learned to capture beautiful and exquisite images of the world around us.
Kem graduated in 2006 from Brigham Young University with his degree in Public Health. He eventually wants to get his masters. Recently, he moved to Arizona to work with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) as a Bilingual Outreach Coordinator where he helps victims of human trafficking—modern day slavery. In April Kem is planning to pursue his passion for world health through his love of bike riding. He has become involved with Ride for World Health (R4WH). Kem needs to raise $2,500 to be able to make this trip a reality. To date he has only raised a few hundred of the $2,500 needed.
Never before have we known someone so dedicated to public health and the world around them. Kem strives to put others before self. He is one of the most compassionate people we know and has always been that way since he was a little boy. He is a deep thinker who makes people think. Kem really enjoys a good conversation about life. He exemplifies one who is willing to dedicate his self to those in need thereby serving his God - a man of faith, virtue, and loving kindness.
Thank you for your time and consideration. It is greatly appreciated.
