After both his cross-country bicycle ride and East Coast charity run, Al DeCesaris wrote about his experiences on the road: the things he saw, the emotions he felt, the challenges he faced and of the extraordinary people he met along the way. His books, Crossing America For A Cure: A Bicycle Journey Of Inspiration And Hope and Running The Coast For A Cure: One Man’s Journey For His Niece With Sturge-Weber Syndrome, are honest, entertaining and, above all, inspirational. To further the efforts to find a cure for Sturge-Weber Syndrome, Al is dedicating all profits from the sale of his “For A Cure” books to medical research.
Running The Coast For A Cure: One Man’s Journey For His Niece With Sturge-Weber Syndrome
In 2014, Al DeCesaris set out on a 1,935-mile solo run from Lubec, Maine to Key Largo, Florida. He ran to bring hope to his 10-year-old niece Jenna who suffers with Sturge-Weber Syndrome, a rare and life-threatening neurological disorder. He ran to create awareness and raise funds for medical research so a cure can be found.
For three consecutive months, he battled the rigors of the road, endured numerous injuries, encountered wild animals, and narrowly escaped getting hit by more than a few reckless drivers. Yet, he also experienced the generosity of strangers, had heart-warming interactions with families affected by this devastating disorder, and came to realize – with purpose, determination, and belief – even the seemingly impossible can be achieved.
Running The Coast For A Cure is one man’s journey to make a difference for his niece. Told with humor and warmth, Al candidly captures the adversity he faced and the joy he experienced as he ran close to a marathon a day through 14 states down the East Coast. His journey of hope will have you running with him, and leave you inspired.
Rave Reviews for
Al’s “For A Cure” books!
“Running The Coast For A Cure isn’t just a book. It’s a mission. One man trying to help his niece by saving her life. Now who can’t get behind that?”
“I stand in awe of this book. A heartfelt and brave accomplishment of a hero running for his hero! A gem to be treasured.”
“…an inspiring, uplifting, and amazing account of an uncle’s love for his niece, and his willingness to perform tremendous feats of athletic prowess to help her…Told with candor and warmth, the account of DeCesaris’ journey is remarkable, and no one who reads this book will forget it.”
“Crossing America For A Cure demonstrates the power of an individual equipped with passion, love and a desire to make a difference. Al shows that even without a big budget, a single person can make a big splash. Those who take the time to read Al’s story will come away inspired.”
“An adventure with purpose is life changing. Al’s cycling journey was not only an extraordinary logistical and physical feat— he is making a direct impact in the lives of those he cares so much about.”
“When a rare neurological disease struck his young niece, my friend Al sprung into action. Actually, he pedaled into action on a 45 day cross-country journey to raise awareness and money for Sturge-Weber research. Crossing America For A Cure is a testament to what one person can do to make things better.”
Crossing America For A Cure: A Bicycle Journey Of Inspiration And Hope
In 2013, cycling novice Al DeCesaris set out on a solo cross-country bicycle journey in honor of his 9-year-old niece Jenna, who was born with a rare neurological disorder called Sturge-Weber Syndrome. Despite great adversity, this ordinary man biked over 3,000 miles from Santa Monica, California to Ocean City, Maryland. Through his efforts, he created awareness about Sturge-Weber Syndrome across the country, raised critical funds for medical research, and brought hope to his niece and countless others suffering with this devastating disorder.
During his journey, he blogged about his experiences on the road: the things he saw, the emotions he felt, the challenges he faced and of the extraordinary people he met along the way. After his ride, he compiled his writings and photos into a book. Crossing America For A Cure is honest, entertaining and, above all, inspirational.
Additional Ways To Help
I wrote my “For A Cure” books to create awareness about Sturge-Weber syndrome and to give hope to all those suffering with this devastating disorder. I also wrote them to further the efforts to find a cure, and am dedicating ALL profits from book sales to Sturge-Weber research.
Below are the book marketing campaigns I’m currently working on. If there are any areas you think you can lend a hand, please join in. Your help on even one campaign would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for your support!
Al
Book Reviews: I’m asking my readers to post reviews of my books on Amazon. Amazon book reviews are extremely important. They’re not only relied on by people when making purchasing decisions, but Amazon uses the number and quality of reviews to determine which books to recommend to their customers.
Please note: the person posting the review must have an Amazon account and have purchased something from Amazon previously. (If the person doesn’t have an Amazon account, they can post their review at www.GoodReads.com.) Although readers who purchased my books from a source other than Amazon are permitted to post reviews on Amazon, “Verified Purchase” reviews carry much more weight. A cost-saving option for someone who’d like to post a “Verified Purchase” review but doesn’t want to purchase an additional paperback copy is the Kindle version, priced at $2.99.
Directions: After you have read my books, go to www.Amazon.com, search for Crossing America For A Cure and Running The Coast For A Cure by name, rate them, and write reviews. A review doesn’t need to be lengthy or formal, just briefly explain why you rated the book the way you did.
CLICK HERE to review Crossing America For A Cure
CLICK HERE to review Running The Coast For A Cure
Book Events: I’m currently appearing at various venues (bookstores, running and cycling stores) where I’m selling/signing books and doing readings. When possible, we have the establishment hosting the event donate a percentage of their sales during the event to Sturge-Weber research. If you know of any venues that might be interested in hosting an event, please let me know.
BookSelfies: I’m asking people to post selfies on social media with my new book and the hashtags #RunningTheCoastForACure and #SturgeWeberSyndrome and to tag me in the post. It’s a fun way to spread the word about the book and raise awareness about Sturge-Weber Syndrome. Plus, my niece Jenna loves it!
Book Clubs: If you know of any book clubs that may be interested in using my books as one of their reading selections, please let me know. We offer discounted pricing for book club members when the books are ordered in volume.
Press Coverage: Getting press coverage would be a big help. If you have contacts with any TV stations, radio stations, newspapers, magazines, or online publications, please let me know. I have a press release about the book as well as promotional images that I can send to you or directly to your media contact.
Word of Mouth: They say there’s no better way to promote a book than by word of mouth recommendations. With that being said, please tell your friends and family about the books and our efforts to find a cure for Sturge-Weber syndrome. Also, let them know that the books are available in paperback and Kindle versions on Amazon. And don’t forget to mention that all profits from book sales fund Sturge-Weber research!
