Our friends at Bikes Fight Cancer are gearing up for their charity ride, rain or shine, this Saturday, June 17th. Below is a message from the BFC team that features our very own co-president, Jonathan Brody.
The NCC is sponsoring a rest stop for the ride and many NCC riders are participating. Please consider donating to the NCC team.
The NCC participants plan to gather at 7:45 AM on Saturday near the registration desk for a photo.
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We are just over a day away from getting on our bikes to help in the fight against cancer! Yes, we will probably be getting wet while doing it. Riding in the rain is hard, but fighting cancer is harder. The Bikes Fight Cancer Ride will take place rain or shine and we will do everything we can do to make sure you are safe out on the roads. You will have a contact number on your wristband should you need help at any time, but if it is an emergency, please call 911 first. Should anything change, we will email participants, so please check your email.
We want to share a story from one of our riders about his journey and how 2 of our beneficiaries worked together to manage his complicated cancer care. Jonathan Brody is the President of the Northampton Cycling Club and is an active member of the western mass cycling community. We are honored that he rides for Bikes Fight Cancer and is committed to supporting our mission.
I am a three time cancer survivor. With each diagnosis I faced fear, uncertainty and many complex medical and logistical challenges.
As a result, I simultaneously needed both local/convenient health care, as well as experts specializing in my complicated care. Through the encouragement of local doctors and cancer care organizations, I sought this support through Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) in Boston. There, I got to see experts at the forefront of research and treatment who laid out the best possible treatment plans.
As a part of that, DFCI recommended that I get my direct cancer care from my local providers at Cooley Dickinson Hospital (CDH) here in Western Massachusetts due to its proximity to my home. At one point, I averaged roughly 10 appointments a month, some of which were all-day chemotherapy infusions five days in a row. Having those treatments here in Northampton at Cooley Dickinson with my family and friends at my side made all the difference.
I am several years out from my last treatment, and as a cancer survivor, I have worked hard to give back to the people and places that have saved my life — both here in Western Massachusetts and Dana Farber. These have mainly been isolated endeavors, but through Bikes Fight Cancer we can now integrate this support in a very meaningful way. It’s for this reason that I am dedicated to the incredible mission of Bikes Fight Cancer and will work hard to raise support for this very worthy cause.
Thank you Jonathan for sharing your story and for joining us on Saturday. If you see Jonathan on the road, give him a big cheer, he is one of the many reasons we all ride!
This year we are happy to be growing our support to include local organizations who are doing so much to help patients, families and caregivers who are dealing with a cancer diagnosis. The help they provide can be as simple as being there to answer questions, or as complicated as facilitating life saving treatments.
Please help us reach our goal by sharing your fundraising link if you have not already.
If you have any questions, please reach out! johnny@bikesfightcancer.org
Love bikes, Hate Cancer
