CYCLING: Area residents join cancer fund-raising effort
Published: Monday, July 29, 2013
By Morgan Schwenn
Bethany resident Dominick Reis was first touched by cancer as a teenager, when his grandmother passed from the disease.
Reis, now 52 years old, has lost several friends and family members to cancer since his grandmother’s passing. He recalled how difficult it was to see his loved ones become debilitated by the disease.
“My grandmother was the first person I knew who had cancer, and at the end she wouldn’t let us see her because she was afraid we would be scared by the way she looked,” Reis said.
Reis said he thinks it is important that people don’t feel alone as they fight illness.
On Saturday and Sunday, Reis will cycle in the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge to raise money and awareness for cancer research and care.
The PMC is a bike-a-thon that raises money for The Jimmy Fund. There are 11 routes with varying lengths from which riders may choose. Cyclists must raise anywhere from $500 to $4,300 depending on the route they plan to ride.
This will be the first year Reis rides in the PMC, but he already feels a close connection to the race. Reis’ uncle, Manuel Tavares, used to ride in the bike-a-thon before he passed from cancer. Reis will be riding alongside his cousin in honor of his uncle and other family members and friends who had cancer.
“My uncle was just such a giving person. He would do anything for anybody. He was very unassuming, very kind. He was your perfect family man,” Reis said.
Reis and his family also support other cancer research charities, but the PMC stands out for several reasons.
All of the money raised by the riders goes directly to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through the Jimmy Fund. The PMC raises more money than any other athletic fundraising event. In 2012, the PMC raised $37 million and this year has a goal of raising $38 million.
“The PMC money is considered seed money. This means the PMC funds early innovative research,” PMC Spokesperson Jackie Herskovitz said. “So the PMC could be funding the next cures that never would have seen the light of day if it weren’t for the PMC.”
Herskovitz said the PMC was founded in 1980 by Billy Star, who lost his mother, uncle and cousin to cancer by the time he reached 30. She said Star used to ride, just for fun, from his home in Newtown to Provincetown, which is about a 200 mile ride. He and his friends would try to make it to Provincetown for the 3:30 ferry, and if they didn’t make it to the ferry, they would have to hitch-hike back home. Star realized they could do the ride to raise money for cancer research.
The first year Star organized the PMC, there were only 36 riders, and they raised $10,200. Since then, the PMC has grown to include about 5,500 cyclists from 36 states and eight countries.
“PMC weekend is amazing. It is like a love fest. It’s like a family reunion. It is truly an extended family,” Herskovitz said. “Volunteers are thanking riders and riders are thanking volunteers. Everyone is working as a unified team because they all have the same goal in mind; to raise as much money for cancer research as possible.”
Milford resident Tim Cronin will also be participating in the PMC, where he will be riding in memory of his niece, Meghan Duffy.
Meghan had cancer as a child and passed in 2007 at age 11, but before her death Meghan participated in the PMC as a pedal partner with the Pedal for Pediatrics team.
“Pedal partners are children going through cancer treatment, and they (PMC) try to match up partners with teams,” Cronin said.
Pedal partners motivate Cronin throughout the weekend, and he said that seeing them is a special part of the event.
“It’s an amazing experience to see those young kids out there going through these treatments and smiling at you and cheering you on. It’s so powerful and rewarding to be a part of that,” Cronin said.
This will be Cronin’s sixth year riding with the Pedal for Pediatrics team, which now has about 60 members. Since the team was created, they have raised over $2 million.
Cronin rides alongside his sister, Colleen Duffy, and her husband, Frank, who have been involved with the PMC for 13 years. Cronin said that riding with his family and friends gives him the strength needed to get through the 160 miles of cycling.
Other area riders include Jason Cebula (Milford), Paul Downing (Milford), Michael Smith (Milford), Douglas Hale (Naugatuck), William Hawkins (Naugatuck), Nadine Morandi (Orange) and Rick Allen (Woodbridge).
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