Team Conquest: "Crops to the Clinic" exceeds Pelotonia fund-raising goal

This is the tale of two riders, Stephen Nameth and Keith Smith -- opposites in many ways, but united in a common cause, the Pelotonia bike tour. The tour raises funds for the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center -- James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute. Nameth, director of Ohio State ATI, and Smith, Ohio State University Extension director, rounded out a 23-person team comprising faculty and staff from CFAES and the James.

Nameth had already made a commitment to ride the 102-mile Columbus-to-Athens route in the 2010 Pelotonia when CFAES Dean Bobby Moser approached him about spearheading a college Pelotonia team. The CFAES team quickly morphed into Team Conquest: "Crops to the Clinic," a joint effort acknowledging CFAES's unique relationship to the James through multidisciplinary research projects focusing on the cancer-fighting properties of food.

Smith was one of the CFAES members who responded to Moser's invitation to ride. A cancer survivor himself, Smith said he felt motivated to ride "because of his situation." Smith notes that cycling is not a part of his regular exercise regimen, although he does routinely log 20 to 30 minutes on a stationary bike. He decided the 43-mile Columbus-to-Amanda route would not be too much of a stretch for a fit non-biker.

Nameth, on the other hand, has a long history with cycling. "In my early and mid-20s, when I lived in California, we would bike up or down the coast every weekend." He regularly participated in races of up to 100 miles -- and then "hung it all up and quit" when he joined the CFAES faculty in 1985.

It was not his cycling hero, Greg LeMond, who inspired him to return to the sport in 2008. It was $4.00 per gallon gasoline prices. Nameth began biking the eight-mile round trip between ATI and his Wooster home. What began as a way to thumb his nose at the oil companies evolved into a way of reducing his personal carbon footprint and gave him a solid training base for the nine-hour ride on his LeMond racing cycle.

Smith stuck with an old touring bike, despite his triathlete daughter's urgings to upgrade to a bike "costing a whole lot of money." Pelotonia was his first athletic event for a cause, although he has participated in numerous volunteer projects through his church.

Smith rode with team members Moser and Ken Martin, and the three crossed the finish line at Amanda together. "We didn't see Steve after the start. I think he left us in the dust," Smith joked.

"I was actually riding behind them," Nameth responded. Well-versed in handling such road hazards as flat tires and derailed chains, Nameth wanted to make sure he would be nearby if the trio encountered problems.

Smith and Nameth both exceeded their personal fund-raising goals. "I raised twice as much as I needed to, and I didn't have any big corporate donations. It was all through individuals," Smith said. "I was very touched by the response to my fund-raising letters." Their donations contributed to the total of more than $31,000 raised by Team Conquest, far exceeding the initial fund-raising goal of $7,000.

"I can't think of a better way to spend a day than riding to Athens and raising money for cancer research," Nameth said. "Cancer has touched all of our lives in many ways, and donations to The James Cancer Hospital will help those we know as well as those we don't."

-- Frances Whited

CFAES Pelotonia Team Members

Steven Clinton, captain

-- Bruce Ackley

-- Maureen Austin

-- Evan Clinton

-- Robert Curley

-- Mike Dodrill

-- Derrick Dozier

-- Mark Loux

-- Tory Loux

-- Ken Martin

-- Joseph Mitchell

-- Paul Monk

-- Amir Mortazavi

-- Bobby Moser

-- Steve Nameth

-- Thomas Olencki

-- Joseph Ottobre

-- Ken Riedl

-- Steven Schwartz

-- Cindy Shelly

-- Keith Smith

-- Hsueh-li Tan

-- Helen Thompson

-- Frances Whited

Putting medals to her petals: ATI student wins first place in national competition

ATI floral design and marketing major Bailey Anne Wilson brought home a total of four awards, including first place overall, from the 2010 Student Floral Design Competition that was held as part of the American Institute of Floral Designers 2010 National Symposium in Boston, July 3–8. This competition is the most prestigious student floral design competition in the nation.

Wilson, who is a second-year student from Marblehead, Ohio, garnered the People's Choice Award, an award for best design voted on by the general public, as well as first place in the Overall Contest Winner category. She also received first place in the Buffet Design category and second place in the Napkin Décor Design category.

The competition consists of five categories: Overall, Buffet/Food Table Design, Napkin Floral Décor, Flowers to Carry – Bridal Bouquet Design, and Sweetheart Table Design.

The Student AIFD (SAIFD) maintains chapters at 15 colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada. SAIFD chapters not only compete in the Annual Student Design Competition during AIFD's National Symposium but also host artist in residence programs throughout the year.

ATI sends a student design team to the competition every year. An ATI student won first place overall in 2005, and ATI also earned the first-ever Top Overall School Award that year.

-- Frances Whited