Tag: special event

The Saratoga County Amateur Radio Association (SCARA) is taking a new approach this year in support of the American Diabetes Association’s Capital Region Tour de Cure. Rather than providing direct event communications and support, we will be operating a Special Event Station (call sign K2D) during the event.

Our core objectives remain unchanged despite this modification in our role at this event:

• Offer valuable public service as members of the local community.
• Demonstrate the functionalities of amateur radio to the public.
• Provide hams with opportunities for training and practical experience.

SCARA is proud to participate in the 2025 Capital Region Tour de Cure with a unique twist! While cyclists will be logging miles on the roads, our ham radio operators will be racking up miles on the airwaves through a special event station (using the call sign K2D). 

Tour de Cure® is ADA’s premier fundraising cycling event, bringing together communities with a shared mission: to fight diabetes and support those affected by it. SCARA is honored to join this mission by doing what we do best — making radio contacts across the country and around the globe — while helping to fund diabetes research, education, prevention programs, and advocacy.

There are several ways that you can become involved:

1. Operate at the Special Event Station on June 1, 2025, at the Tour de Cure venue: Ellms Family Farm in Charlton, NY — the start/finish line for riders. The site features music, food, and a beer garden for participants such as us.  (This event presents an excellent opportunity for us to demonstrate amateur radio to an audience of several hundred attendees who will be present throughout the day, if not all day.)  
2. Operate from anywhere in Saratoga County using the K2D call sign from May 31–June 2 (0000Z–2359Z). Consider combining this with a Parks on the Air (POTA) activation.
3. Support the cause with a donation to the American Diabetes Association — and have your contribution credited to our amateur radio effort, even if you don’t plan to operate.  Make your donation at www.diabetes.org/hamradio.   Please spread the word to others, including family and friends, about this option to help.

If you wish to participate (options 1 and 2), please register as a Virtual Team Member at www.diabetes.org/hamradio and drop me an email at Specialevent@k2dll.org .  

Here are the steps to register–

1. Go to the special website that has been specially set up for our Team –  www.diabetes.org/hamradio
2. Select “Join Our Team”
3. Enter the information needed to create an account
4. Register as a “Virtual Rider” and “Join a Team” under role
5. Select a Team – “Saratoga County Amateur Radio Assoc.”
6. Don’t worry about the Fundraising Goal of $500 ($250 if you are a Red Rider) as mentioned on the next registration page.  (Conceptual background:  For our fundraising goals, we will provide information about SCARA’s team’s webpage to our contacts, allowing them to choose whether or not to donate. )
7. Answer the questions including providing your T-shirt size
8. “Continue to Confirmation” and enter the discount code THANKYOU25 (must be all caps to work).  Your entry fee should be $0.

Participants will receive a t-shirt, a meal, and access to the Beer Garden at Ellms Family Farm (the event venue) covered by the $10 participation fee. If you are participating off-site, arrangements will be made to ensure you receive your T-shirt.

Ask your friends and family to donate too. If they mention your name when donating, the amount will go to the SCARA Team, and you’ll receive recognition gifts for reaching fundraising milestones.  See https://tour.diabetes.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=cms.page&id=1403

Diabetes affects more than 11% of the U.S. population, making it a serious and widespread health challenge. Among ham radio operators, many are older adults—a group particularly vulnerable to this condition. That means a significant portion of the amateur radio community is directly managing diabetes, either personally or through loved ones. This event is more than just a gathering—it’s a chance to merge our passion for amateur radio with a cause that deeply affects our peers, friends, and families. By coming together, we can raise awareness, support one another, and make a meaningful impact on a health issue that touches so many in our community.

After you register as a team member, further logistical and operational details will be provided.

We hope you’ll join us in making this a fun, meaningful, and impactful event!

73,

Michael Levy, K2ZIP

President, Saratoga County Amateur Radio Association