By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — It’s back.
After being forced to hold two straight virtual fundraisers, the 18th annual Reid’s Ride bike-a-thon will be making its triumphant return on Sunday, July 17. The 28-mile bike trek spans from Lynnfield High School to Stage Fort Park in Gloucester.
The Reid R. Sacco Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Cancer Alliance uses the funds raised from the North Shore summertime tradition to support AYA cancer treatments and programs. The ride also honors the life and legacy of LHS graduate Reid Sacco, who passed away in April 2005 after a courageous two-year battle with soft tissue sarcoma.
“Everyone is as excited as we are, both riders and volunteers alike,” said Alliance Co-Founder/Executive Director Lorraine Sacco. “Registration and fundraising are going at a fantastic pace. You can almost feel a sense of relief that we’ll be returning to our original format in which we ride and celebrate together. To effectively alter the course of AYA cancer, we must work and act together.”
Similar to previous years, the route for the 18th annual Reid’s Ride begins at LHS at 7:30 a.m. and concludes at Stage Fort Park in Gloucester. Cyclists will be making the trek through some of the most popular and beautiful cycling routes across the North Shore, ranging from hilly cornfields to seaside communities along the Cape Ann seashore.
“The theme for the 2022 Reid’s Ride is, ‘Riding toward a future that is cancer free,’” said Sacco.
Sacco also noted that Reid’s Ride will be paying tribute to the people of Ukraine this year.
“This year’s T-shirts will be blue with yellow writing,” said Sacco. “We feel that it’s important that we acknowledge the Ukrainian people for the challenges, suffering and sacrifices they are courageously enduring.”
Sacco recalled that the Reid R. Sacco AYA Cancer Alliance has raised nearly $4 million since its inception in 2005.
“Thanks to generous company sponsors and private donors, and to the creative fundraising efforts of all those who participated virtually last year, the 2021 Reid’s Ride raised $70,000,” said Sacco.
Sacco said the proceeds raised from Reid’s Ride has allowed the alliance to continuing funding the Reid R. Sacco AYA cancer programs at Tufts Medical Center in Boston and Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford.
“This has been important because both programs continue to grow in terms of the numbers of patients they see and in the breadth of the services and care they provide these patients,” said Sacco. “We have spent the past year transitioning to the next phase of the alliance’s mission. We are increasing our focus on fostering collaboration among physicians and caregivers who are increasingly addressing the gaps in clinical research in AYA oncology. Closing those gaps is essential to making the cancers striking AYAs routinely curable or preventable. This transition started in 2020 when the alliance hosted the first Northeast AYA Cancer Conference. During the conference, renowned clinicians from across the country shared their research in AYA oncology and together paved a path of where this field needs to focus in the next decade.”
Registration for the 18th annual Reid’s Ride begins at 6:30 a.m. at LHS on July 17, and the bike trek will commence at 7:30 a.m. Residents can register to ride, join or create a team of riders. Participants will be able to create a personal or team fundraising page to raise funds from family members, friends, classmates and colleagues. Prizes will be awarded to the riders and teams who raise the most funds.
The registration fee is $100 for adults and $50 for youths.
All riders are required to wear helmets. There will also be technical chase teams monitoring the entire route for riders who need assistance.
There will also be signs and water stations located along the route. A rest stop for refreshments and restrooms will be located at the Landmark School, 429 Hale St., Prides Crossing in Beverly.
Sacco said Urban AdvenTours will once again be providing bikes for Reid’s Ride participants to rent.
“Urban AdvenTours will be delivering bikes to the starting line at Lynnfield High School and will then pick them up at Stage Fort Park at the end of the event,” said Sacco. “There is a limited number of bikes to rent at each size and component level, so we recommend booking early. Rental bikes must be reserved in advance.”
After riders arrive at Stage Fort Park, Sacco said there will be food, a DJ, prizes and activities for children.
Sacco said she, her family and the entire Reid R. Sacco AYA Alliance are looking forward to the ride’s return.
“I am extremely grateful to all of Reid’s Riders, sponsors, donors and volunteers for 18 years of loyalty to the AYA cancer cause,” said Sacco. “On behalf of the alliance and of AYA cancer patients and AYA cancer survivors, I want to thank everyone because their hard work and generosity has made possible great strides in the fight against AYA cancer.”
If people want to register for Reid’s Ride, they should visit
