A group of 22 cyclists will ride from Venice to Milan to raise awareness and funds for Operation Restore. 

This group of surgeons, staff, and ISHRS supporters are going to push themselves for 60 miles per day, for a total of 240 miles, in support of this worthwhile cause.  

To date, Operation Restore has provided free hair restoration surgery to 67 patients around the world who have suffered permanent hair loss as a result of trauma or disease. 

Operation Restore patients have survived cancer, fire, accidents and other unthinkable tragedies. Volunteer physicians are restoring far more than hair. They are restoring self-image and self-esteem and forever changing the lives of these patients!

To learn more about this program visit: http://www.ishrs.org/media-center/pro-bono-foundation.htm

The story of an Operation Restore patient:

Born 15 weeks premature and given only a 5% chance to live, Hanna's difficult birth resulted in severe bruising on her head, leading to lifelong scarring that destroyed the hair follicles on her scalp. Hanna knew from a young age that her hair loss made her different. From being called a monster by classmates to getting dollars from complete strangers in restaurants who assumed she was battling cancer, Hanna's hair loss drew unwanted attention wherever she went. On the first day of kindergarten, Hanna told her classmates, “Don't look at my head, look at my heart. I will be good to you, you be good to me.” Despite being turned down by their insurance company twice, Hanna's family was determined to find a way. They learned of ISHRS’s Operation Restore program. Hanna was matched with Dr. Bill Parlsey who performed three surgeries at no cost over three years to restore Hanna's hair which in turn, restored her self-esteem.

See Hanna’s before and after photos: http://www.ishrs.org/content/operation-restore-hannas-and-after-photos