CASTLETON — Years after his father passed away from cancer, Walt
Stanley of Castleton will be making his second trip to Winston-Salem,
N.C., for the Ride of Courage bicycling fundraiser for Cancer Services.
An
avid cyclist at 46 years old, Stanley will be participating on New
Year's Day in a 62-mile ride with two intentions — raising as much
money as he can for a good cause and crossing the finish line in front
of the rest of the pack.
"My dad died of cancer, so I try to
stay involved in helping that community when I can," Stanley said. "The
last time we did it, I was the second one across the line, so this time
my goal is to be first."
Although, Stanley said, the ride is not
a race and is really about helping raise money for research to help
those diagnosed with cancer.
Stanley said he found out about the
ride through a bicycling magazine a couple of years ago, and with no
charity rides raising money for cancer research in Vermont, he decided
to take a vacation with his family almost 800 miles from his home in
Castleton and raise money for the cause at the same time.
Stanley
said after completing the ride two years ago with about 35 other
cyclists, he knew he wanted to return for a second round.
"It's a really great group of people, it was very well supported and it was a great experience," he said.
Although
the weather is up in the air for Jan. 1 in North Carolina, Stanley said
in 2007 he rode through rain at the start of the 3-1/2-hour ride and,
by the end, temperatures were in the 60s, which were "great conditions"
compared to the New England weather he is accustomed to.
"Around here, I ride in anything above 25 degrees, As long as the roads are dry, I'll go out," he said.
Cycling
five or six days a week, Stanley said, he averages from 5,000 to 6,000
miles on his Specialized brand road bike each year.
Although
Stanley works three jobs, including his wood furniture business
Brookside Woodworking and driving a school bus picking up and dropping
off children in Hubbardton, he finds time to ride almost every evening.
When the weather is unbearable, he continues his routine with his bike set up on a trainer inside his home, he said.
The
62-mile ride, called a metric century because it's equal to 100
kilometers, is the longer of two distances the Ride of Courage
fundraiser offers with the other option being a half-metric century at
25 miles. All of the money raised stays in the community and goes
directly to Cancer Services, the mission of which is to "enhance the
quality of life for those living with cancer, and to provide the gift
of life through education."
In his first time attempting the
metric century in 2007, Stanley said he raised $1,000 for cancer
research, although he's lowered his fundraising goal this time around.
"With the economic downturn this year, I'm not expecting to get $1,000 this year, but I've set a goal of $500," he said.
Anyone interested in donating on Stanley's behalf can do so online at
www.active.com/donate/cancerservicesrfc/wstanley or can send a check made out to "Cancer Services" to his home address at 420 River St., Castleton, VT 05735.
By
Dawson Raspuzzi Herald Staff - Published: December 11, 2008
