By
Leigh Somerville McMillan
| Local Columnis, Winston-Salem Journal
Even
the giant inflatable polar bear in front of South Fork Community Center
looked cold Thursday morning. Temperatures hovered below the freezing
mark, and the sun barely peeked over the tree line on Country Club Road.
As bikers gathered for the fifth annual Ride for Courage: Polar Bear Metric Century to benefit Cancer Services, Ken Spence cranked up the volume on the Beatles' "All You Need is Love."
At first, I laughed. Surely, it would take a lot more than love for
most people to pedal 62-plus miles in such bone-chilling conditions.
But on second thought, I realized that love was exactly what the ride
required. Spence's choice of music was perfect.
Three kinds of folks showed up for the benefit: those who love
someone diagnosed with cancer, those who love biking and a combination
of the two.
Spence's mother died on Christmas Day as a result of complications
from her cancer. Her son was one of the first to arrive at the ride
site on New Year's Day. Beginning at about 7:15 a.m., he set up the
amplification system that provided music throughout the day for almost
175 riders. Spence said he was glad to be able to do something to help
Cancer Services.
Cynthia Smart, a nurse oncology navigator at
Forsyth Medical Center, admitted that she was "not a cyclist." Still,
she was all set to complete the alternative 30-mile course. "My
patients are the most courageous people I know," Smart said, "And
Cancer Services helps them so much with financial assistance, education
and other support. I don't know what we would do without them."
Another example of courage was Smart's cousin, Bonnie Crotts, who began training for the first time on Dec. 12. Her granddaughters, Jordann Hart, 9, and Bree Hart, 3, held posters with the words, "Go Granny!!! You Can Do It!!!" Her daughters, Chasity Hart and Amber Crotts, also showed up to cheer her on.
And then there were such "avid cyclists" as Alan Barber,
who has ridden in the Ride for Courage for the past four years and
plans to participate in another ride in Cornelius on Saturday. And Duncan McCall and his son, Zander,
10, took the opportunity for some father and son time during the
30-mile ride. "If we can get out today, we can get out any day," the
elder McCall said.
Tara O'Brien, the chief executive of Cancer
Services, said that enthusiasm has grown since the 30-mile loop was
added. Cancer Services, a nonprofit organization, took over the ride
five years ago from Ken Putnam of Ken's Bike Shop.
O'Brien said that the fundraiser is a "good fit" for Cancer Services.
"People are surviving long-term, so it's nice to have a healthy event
associated with the agency," she said. "It promotes the idea of
survivorship."
The key to surviving a winter bike ride is good equipment, according to Thorns Craven.
Craven appeared to be relatively warm in his cycling booties and all
kinds of other Lance Armstrong-looking gear. He has had lots of
experience with pedaling on cold mornings, starting in the mid-'70s. "I
think there were about 20 of us," he recalled.
Five years ago, Putnam turned the registration fees over to Cancer Services and the ride-director reins over to Keith Vest.
"We couldn't do this without the bike shops' support," Vest said.
"They do a great job of technical support and training before the
event, as well as getting the word out." In addition to Putnam's shop,
other shops involved included CycleTherapy, Paul's Schwinn, Mock Orange
Bikes, Clemmons Bicycle and Paceline Bicycles.
The Ride for Courage had lots of volunteers. Bobby Lawson started
out the new year driving a "sag" wagon, the support vehicle that
follows the riders and picks up the ones who can't finish. Lenore Shamey stayed warm inside, checking in 100 pre-registered bikers. She was joined at the registration table by Wanda Jackson.
LeeAnn Taylor, a patient advocate at Cancer Services, and her husband, Chuck, braved the cold to check in the cyclists who registered the morning of the ride. Mel Murray
stood nearby "to do whatever they ask me to do." Mrs. Taylor said that
the patients were "so appreciative" as they watched preparations being
made during the days leading up to the benefit. "It's inspiring to see
people who ride in honor of people who have died of cancer."
Anna Cohn, the development coordinator of Cancer
Services, expressed appreciation for the volunteers, sponsors and the
area bike shops that participated. "The whole community has come
together to make this happen," she said. Cohn's husband, James, borrowed a bike from CycleTherapy so he could ride.
The agency provides services in Davie, Stokes, Yadkin and Forsyth
County. Of the annual budget, 91 percent goes directly to the
communities to provide information and advocacy, medication, financial
assistance and equipment. The ride raised almost $18,000 toward
financing those services.
Julie Lanford, the wellness director at Cancer
Services, set up an information display showing the help provided to
cancer patients and their families. She was joined for the day by her
husband, Jonathan, and their biking friends, Jessica and Kyle Beardsley, of Atlanta, and Jenn Coon, from Raleigh. "I told them that this was what I wanted for Christmas," Mrs. Lanford said.
Walt Stanley, a bus driver from Castleton, Vt., and his wife, Michele, headed south for the second consecutive year. Stanley first saw an announcement of the benefit in Bicycling magazine
and decided that it was worth the long trip. A participant in other
benefit rides, he said he hadn't been able to find one that benefits
cancer services in his home state. "I wish (riding to benefit cancer
services) was more widespread," he said.
The Stanleys visited family in Mooresville the week before the ride,
arrived in Winston-Salem on New Year's Eve and showed up at South Fork
Community Center bright and early. Last year, Stanley raised $1,000 for
the ride; this year, even with the downturn in the economy, his
donations totaled $800.
Mrs. Stanley rode 13 miles last year but opted out this year when
organizers more than doubled the distance of the shorter course. She
enjoyed being part of the group, however, and admitted that there was
another reason for coming to North Carolina. "They don't have Krispy
Kreme in Vermont," she said, around a mouthful of glazed donut.
Promptly at 9 a.m., Vest gave the riders directions and safety tips and off they went.
Leading the pack was Will Bolt, who had loaded up
the Bolt Brothers Cycles van in Waxhaw at 5 a.m. Among his eight riders
was the only woman on the team of 12, Stephanie Cole.
As the team captain and owner of the bike shop, Bolt had lots of good
things to say about the fundraiser, including the compliment, "They
always serve the best food."
Somewhere in the pack was Konrad Gannon, who started his bicycle ride from his home, three miles away in Ardmore. His daughter, Nora, 6, rode the 30-mile course with him on the back of the long-wheel bike, while Lola,
18 months, sat tucked inside the rear trailer with her pacifier and a
pink stuffed duck. The mother? At home, asleep in her warm bed, Gannon
said.
