Published in the July 20, 2016 edition
THE 12TH annual Reid’s Ride bike-a-thon raised $195,000 July 17. One of the ride’s highest grossing teams was the Lynnfield Rotary Club, which raised over $12,000. Members of the club celebrated in style by hanging out with ‘Stars Wars’ characters at the finish line at Stage Fort Park in Gloucester. This year’s ride had a Star Wars theme.
LYNNFIELD — Nearly 400 cyclists set out from Lynnfield High School July 17 for a 28-mile bike ride to Gloucester for a Star Wars themed 12th annual Reid’s Ride bike-a-thon. Despite very warm temperatures on Saturday and again on Monday, the weather was perfect for the event, with Sunday morning dawning cooler and slightly overcast, with a refreshing breeze that made for comfortable cycling conditions for the entire event.
These cyclists joined another 400 Reid’s Ride supporters, families and volunteers assembled for finish line festivities at Stage Fort Park in Gloucester, where skies had turned sunny and the cooling on-shore breezes prevailed. All those present were treated to live music performed by talented young adult vocalists from three different local communities. They sang tunes with lyrics expressly appropriate to anyone facing or sharing a difficult challenge like cancer. Saugus resident Venere Salzillo performed “The Climb,” which has become the Reid’s Ride anthem. Marblehead’s Alea Moscone performed the Sara Bareilles song, “Brave.” North Reading’s Brittany Leonard finished up with a performance on guitar and vocals of the tune “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten.
Star Wars Theme
To recognize that Reid’s Ride has become a powerful weapon in fighting Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) cancer, the theme selected for this year’s Reid’s Ride was Star Wars, driven by the belief that Reid’s Ride is indeed “the Force” in defeating AYA cancers. The main attraction at this year’s Stage Fort Park finish line reception was a replica of a Star Wars X-Wing Star Fighter, with a wing span of more than 20 feet.
The replica was designed by Lynnfield resident Arthur Bourque and built by him and his family and friends in a frantic few days of furious construction just prior to the event. Joining in on the theme were several members of the Sacco family, who came dressed as Star Wars characters. Everyone attending the Reid’s Ride reception at Stage Fort Park was invited to pose in front of replica with Princess Leia (Venere Salzillo), Luke Skywalker (Francesco Salzillo), Yoda (Luca Salzillo) and Chewbacca (Alex Sacco) for an instant photo provided by Priestley Fine Photography.
Fundraising results
When all proceeds were totaled, the 2016 Reid’s Ride had raised more than $195,000 to fight the cancers striking Adolescent and Young Adults and to support programs expressly designed to close gaps in the care and treatment AYA cancer patients and survivors.
“That total is a bit shy of the aggressive $200,000 target we set for ourselves but donations to the event continue to flow in through our website at www.ReidsRide.org,” said Reid’s Ride Director Lorraine Sacco. “We’ll keep that site open for several more weeks in the hope that enough additional donations will come in to finally reach that goal!”
More than 45 teams participated in this year’s ride, competing not only on the Reid’s Ride route but also in raising funds for the event. Taking honors for the top fundraising team again this year was “We Can’t Stop,” followed in second place by “Team Rotary (Lynnfield),” and by “Ride It Like You Stole It” in third. “Danvers Diehards” was the fourth highest fundraising team and by “Beverly Rotary” was fifth. Together, these five teams alone raised more than $55,000. Taking honors for places sixth through 10th were “Team Honey Badgers,” “CCCyclers,” “Crazy Wheels,” “North Shore Smiles” and “Wheels That Heal.”
Taking first place among for the top individual fundraisers was, again this year, Meredith Nash (Andover), followed by Patrice Fogg (Madbury, N.H.). Jacqueline Rapisardi (Beverly) was third, Liz Joyce (Danvers) was fourth and Luke Kimball (Lynnfield) was fifth. Together, these five cyclists raised more than $29,000. Taking places sixth through 10th were Jane Greeno (Los Angeles, Calif.), John Mitchell (Lynnfield), Grace Marie Greeno (Concord), Bob Flores (Haverhill) and Rachael Wilson (Haverhill).
This year’s Reid’s Ride also included the second annual “Kids Fun Runs,” organized by Kristen Dorsky and Stacey Pagos. Thirty-four young runners between the ages of 3 and 10 participated in this event. Taking first place in the run for kids 5-10 years old was Macy, followed by Owen in second and Tiffany in third. Taking first place in the run for kids 4 and under was 4-year-old Lynnfield resident Daniel Vladasi.
Keeping young people involved
Sacco was thrilled with the turnout and the results, remarking that this year’s event perfectly epitomized Reid’s Ride’s mission and objectives.
“Reid’s Ride is keeping our young adults connected with the world around them, by involving and engaging them in ways that are helping change the world,” said Sacco. “Because Reid’s Ride is now closing gaps in the care and treatment of adolescents and young adults diagnosed with cancer, these young adults are helping their peers who have had to hear those dreaded words, ‘you have cancer,’ by improving the outlook for these patients.”
One of the many things that sets Reid’s Ride apart from other fundraising events of this size and scale is the high level of involvement from the communities’ youth. That involvement is seen immediately at the starting line at Lynnfield High School, among the hundreds of fundraising cyclists of all ages assembled and anxious for the launch horn to sound. That involvement is also apparent on the scenic open-road cycling route up to Gloucester. Local adolescents and young adults staff the event’s water stations and rest stops and all along the route can be seen cheering on the riders. But the involvement of young people is even more evident at the Reid’s Ride finish line, where Reid’s Ride organizers rely on hundreds of young men and women volunteers to energize the festivities at Stage Fort Park in Gloucester.
“You see our young people wherever you look at Stage Fort Park at our event each year,” Sacco stressed. “This year, our cyclist completed the course by pedaling way down a corridor flanked by rows of young people each holding a Star Wars light saber over their heads and cheering riders the last few yards to the finish line.”
The small army of young-adult volunteers played other key roles, too, such as staffing the many food and services tents, playing the Star Wars characters and providing live vocal musical entertainment for the event.
“And I must proudly report that Reid’s Ride is influencing a new generation of young physicians, by sharpening their perspective on AYA Cancers,” said Sacco. “My son, Weston and his wife Lindsay, are medical residents now, as are many of their friends. Through their exposure and commitment to the mission of Reid’s Ride, they are becoming the voice of AYA cancer patients on the very front lines of medical care. They are also expanding the reach and awareness of the clinical programs, like the programs at Tufts Medical Center and Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, which Reid’s Ride helped launch and continues to support.”
Cancer Moonshot Initiative
The reach of Reid’s Ride is borderless, working hard to bring capabilities of clinicians, researchers and philanthropists together, regardless of organization or affiliation, to precipitate the changes needed to better fight AYA cancers. Reid’s Ride is becoming an essential catalyst in bringing the forces of science, medicine and community together in a quest not unlike that of Vice President Joe Biden’s Cancer Moonshot Initiative, which believes that, “solving the complexities of cancer will require the formation of new alliances to defy the bounds of innovation and accelerate the path to prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and – ultimately – to a cure.” The Reid R. Sacco AYA Cancer Alliance is an active participant of Cancer Moonshot.
“As founders of the AYA Cancer Alliance, my husband and I want to thank all Reid’s Ride participants and volunteers for making it possible for us to have a voice in this important initiative to accelerate the arrival of that day when cancers in adolescents and young adults are routinely curable and preventable,” said Sacco.
Year-after-year commitment
Another thing about Reid’s Ride that is immediately apparent is the large number of volunteers and participants who return each year. When asked why that might be, Peter Lagorio, a volunteer for all 12 Reid’s Ride responded, “people keep coming back supporting Reid’s Ride because they see the dedication of the people at the top who do such a tremendous job organizing everything year-round, not by sitting behind desks delegating orders to others, but by directly working hands-on with all of us as active members of a growing team effort.”
Lorraine and Gene’s son, and Reid’s brother, Dr. Weston Sacco, added that it also has something to do with just how memorable an event Reid’s Ride has become and with how much detail goes into it.
“Even though I’ve seen it 11 times before, I am always impressed with how this event brings people together and how it creates such indelible memories for people,” he remarked. “For example, I’m sure everyone will remember the Star Wars theme, that Star Fighter and those characters for years to come! This practice my mom and dad have of always putting in that little extra is what Walt Disney referred to as ‘plus-ing.’ My mom and dad would do Walt Disney proud with what they accomplish with Reid’s Ride each year.”
Of course, behind all of this is the original inspiration for Reid’s Ride, Reid Sacco, who lost his life to cancer at age 20 in 2005, after a heroic two-year battle.
“It seems that every year someone comes up to me with a story about how Reid touched their lives, usually by helping them feel connected or by making an impossible goal seem attainable,” said Sacco. “Those stories don’t surprise me because that’s just the kind of young man he was. His inspiration is really the driver behind all that we and everyone associated with Reid’s Ride do to make this event fun, rewarding and impactful for so many.”
About Reid’s Ride
Reid’s Ride is held each year on the third Sunday in July. Reid’s Ride is the primary fundraiser for the ECCF/Reid Sacco AYA Cancer Fund, which provides financial support to clinical and scientific programs targeted at finding improved treatments – and someday a cure – for the cancers that strike adolescents and young adults.
Compared to cancer patients in other age groups, this age group is grossly underserved in terms of cancer treatment options, access to clinical trials and improved survival rates is committed to raising awareness and funds to close critical gaps facing AYA cancer patients and their families. That commitment is focused on three areas: Improving care for AYA cancer patients and survivors; improving access for AYA cancer patients to new clinical trials, and educating medical professionals and caregivers about the unique challenges of the cancers predominantly striking adolescents and young adults. It is the vision of Reid’s Ride and the AYA Cancer Alliance to see that day when the many types of cancer striking AYAs are routinely curable or preventable.
For more words and pictures about this year’s event and past Reid’s Rides, go to www.facebook.com/reidsride or www.flickr.com/photos/reidsaccofoundation/collections.
