(Courtesy image)
By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — It’s a new era for Reid’s Ride.
The Reid R. Sacco Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Cancer Alliance has announced that this year’s fundraiser will serve as a “flex ride” instead of the traditional 28-mile bike trek that spanned from Lynnfield High School to Stage Fort Park in Gloucester for 16 years. The new format will be similar to the virtual Reid’s Ride fundraisers that were held in July 2020 and July 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the Reid’s Ride format will be changing, the fundraiser’s proceeds will once again be used to support AYA cancer treatments and programs. The flex version of Reid’s Ride will continue honoring 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.
“We have come far with Reid’s Ride and the AYA Cancer Alliance,” said Alliance Co-Founder/Executive Director Lorraine Sacco. “For 19 years, people from different communities have set aside the third Sunday in July to cycle in Reid’s Ride. This year, Reid’s Ride is coming to them. The 2023 Reid’s Ride is being held as a flex event. That means people can customize their own unique Reid’s Ride, and it doesn’t mean participants have to ride a bicycle.”
The 18th annual Reid’s Ride bike-a-thon raised over $200,000 last year. 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.
“It’s that time of year when we get outside and continue the cancer fight,” said Sacco about this year’s fundraiser. “We are expanding our reach and our fight.”
Sacco said townspeople will be able to hold their own Reid’s Ride between Saturday, July 1 and Sunday, July 16.
“People can choose a date and a route to ride, or they can pick any activity they would like to do,” said Sacco. “Individuals can do the fundraiser alone or they can invite others to join in with them. We continue to ride in every way and in all activities everywhere possible to make the world cancer free for all.”
Sacco said residents can decide what kind of activity they want to undertake for their Reid’s Ride fundraiser.
“People can decide what they want to do for their ride and when and where they want to do it,” said Sacco. “Individuals can pick any healthy activity they like: Walking, hiking, kayaking or swimming. Participants can set any distance or duration or fundraising amount as their goal. People can undertake the fundraiser alone or with a team comprised of family, friends and colleagues. Individuals can complete their event in a single session, or they can spread it out over a couple of weeks. Participants just need to complete the event before the end of the day on Sunday, July 16.”
Residents can sign up to participate in this year’s Reid’s Ride by visiting https://secure.frontstream.com/2023reidsride. Similar to previous fundraisers, Sacco said this year’s Reid’s Ride participants can create fundraising pages on the website.
“These pages are a convenient way to ask family, friends and colleagues for online donations that are either large or small,” said Sacco. “It helps people keep track of what they raised. Individuals can add online donations they collect as well.”
Sacco said residents who agree to become a partner of the Reid R. Sacco Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Cancer Alliance will be able to have the entrance fee waved.
“If people decide to become a partner, this year’s ride is free,” said Sacco. “In addition to that, alliance partners receive exclusive member benefits for the next 12 months.”
Sacco said the alliance will be presenting awards and prizes to the top fundraising teams participating in this year’s Reid’s Ride. The awards that will be given in the Events and Teams category are “Most Funds Raised,” “Most Donations Received,” “Largest Team” and “Most Miles Completed.” The awards that will be presented in the Individuals’ category are “Most Miles Completed” and “Most Funds Raised.”
“We will be awarding special prizes to individuals for building their teams and for their fundraising efforts,” said Sacco.
Sacco also urged residents participating in this year’s Reid’s Ride flex event to email pictures and videos of themselves and/or their teams participating in their fundraiser to her husband Gene at gene.sacco@AYACancerAlliance.org. He is the alliance’s co-founder and chief of operations.
“Participants can send selfies, still images or, better yet, short videos so we can create a video montage of them all for publication on YouTube in our promotions,” said Sacco.
The sponsors of the 19th annual Reid’s Ride are Direct Flowers, Ira Motor Group, Dunkin’ Brands, Everett Bank, Tufts Medicine, the Boston Bruins Foundation, Beth Israel Lahey Health, SBLI Life Insurance, Boston North Cancer Association, Fuddruckers, the Berry Tavern, Cataldo Ambulance Service, Sachetta, Liberty Bay Credit Union, S. Strock and Co., Inc., JM Electrical Company, Mariposa, Colonial Stone Marble Granite & Quartz, Universal Screening Studio, Inc., NBM, Lynnfield Rotary, Wakefield Co-operative Bank, Eastern Bank, The Priestley’s Fine Art Photography, Pacy Law Group, Clear Channel, Stop & Shop and Dreamtime Wellness.
“It’s our sponsors as well as all our participants who have changed the tide for all adolescents and young adults who hear those dreadful words especially at the prime of their life: ‘You have cancer,’” said Sacco. “Nineteen years of Reid’s Ride supporters and partners continue to be the backbone for all our adolescents and young adults stricken with these horrific words. We will never stop the fight until all AYA cancers are routinely curable or entirely preventable.”
