Cyclist's wristbands raise cash for hospital

By JULIE DEARDORFF
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Just in time for the Tour de France, which kicked off last weekend: a new rubber charity bracelet, compliments of a world-class cyclist who is recovering from a life-threatening medical condition.
Sound familiar?
Alas (or thankfully), it's not an updated version of Livestrong, Lance Armstrong's bright yellow band that spawned an epidemic of colored awareness bracelets for everything from cancer to AIDS, diabetes, cruelty to children, no-kill animal shelters, racism in football, hurricane relief and -- whew! -- poverty.
Instead, the two-toned green and white "Raisin Hell" bracelets are the creation of 23-year-old Tour hopeful Saul Raisin of Dalton, Ga.
The young Raisin was considered America's next great cycling star until April, when he crashed during a race in France. The spill left him with a broken collarbone, a smashed rib, a shattered helmet and a lacerated head. A day later, a blood clot burst in his brain and Raisin was put into a coma so doctors could perform emergency surgery.
Now, when he's not in therapy, Raisin is promoting his Raisin Hell bands to raise money for the Shepherd Center, an Atlanta-based catastrophic care hospital where he was treated.
"The whole experience showed me to really appreciate what you have in life; family, people who love you and people you love," he said.
A camera crew from the Outdoor Life Network recently shadowed the recovering Raisin for a day for a possible piece to run during the Tour. But this year, it's as close as he'll get to the big race.
"I'm ready to go right now," said Raisin. "I just haven't been released."