See the press release below for information about a new scholarship fund in honor of Mark Bosworth, the Cycle Oregon volunteer who went missing while working at the event in 2011 and has never been found. The fund will be launched at the Cycle Oregon 2013 route announcement event in Beaverton tonight.
Contact: John Miller, 503-866-6518
Family launchs the Mark Bosworth Fund at 2013 Cycle Oregon Kickoff Party
At the 2013 Cycle Oregon Kickoff Party on Tuesday, Feb. 5, family and friends of Mark Bosworth will launch a fund in his name that will send fellow cyclists to Cycle Oregon, a yearly event near and dear to Mark’s heart.
The Mark Bosworth Fund will sponsor a first-time rider in Cycle Oregon each year. The fundraising goal is $30,000 for this year, with nearly half of that already raised. The money will cover the fee for the week-long Cycle Oregon ride, including meals and the tent and porter fee. The application process for candidates, fundraising efforts and a new website – www.markbosworthfund.org – will be announced at the 2013 Cycle Oregon Kickoff Party at Nike’s Tiger Woods Center. Doors open at 6 p.m. Spots on the annual ride fill up fast, but Cycle Oregon organizers will hold one open each year for the Mark Bosworth Fund. Applications for the Bosworth fund for this year’s ride are due March 15. The application can be downloaded at www.markbosworthfund.org.
Mark, an avid cyclist and longtime Cycle Oregon volunteer, vanished on the night of Sept. 16, 2011 near Riddle High School, the night before the final stretch of that year’s Cycle Oregon ride. Extensive searches in the days and weeks following failed to turn up any sign of him.
“When Mark went missing from Cycle Oregon on Sept 16, 2011 we all thought that the nightmare would end soon,” said Julie Bosworth, Mark’s wife. “As the days and weeks stretched on and on until now we’re into the second year of missing Mark, his disappearance continues to be a mystery. However, I know for a fact that Mark would love the idea of having his name attached to a scholarship designed to get a first-time rider to experience Cycle Oregon, removing cost as an obstacle. Mark was always fixing bikes, lending bikes, helping people to get on their bikes and to gain confidence on their bikes. The Mark Bosworth Fund is another step in what Mark loved to do his entire life.”
Mark, age 54 at the time of his disappearance, had survived two bouts with cancer. His family and doctor believe the cancer returned, leading him to be confused and disoriented at the time he vanished. There’s a $10,000 reward for information that leads to finding Mark. Anyone with information about Mark’s disappearance should call the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency dispatch line at 541-440-4471.
Efforts to find Mark
• Following Mark’s disappearance hundreds of volunteers and members of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office search and rescue team as well as other law enforcement personal conducted searches in and around Riddle.
• Posters went up in the area as well as at stops along main arterials from Northern California through Oregon and Washington.
• Billboards with Mark’s photo and description were put up. Alerts went out to law enforcement across the country as well as truckers.
• Family, friends and strangers joined together to call 4,450 hospitals in the US in hopes of finding Mark.
• Outreach was done at cycling events.
• Renowned cyclists Lance Armstrong and Greg LeMond used social media to share Mark’s story
• A website, FindMark.org, as well as a Facebook page and Twitter account continue to share information about Mark and the hopes of finding out what happened to him.
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