Bikers take the Challenge for Hudner Oncology Center

By Jon Alden

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The second Annual Friends of St. Anne’s Hospital Bike Challenge took place on a beautiful, and I mean beautiful!, Sunday morning at the Horseneck Holy Ghost Grounds on Allens Neck Road in South Dartmouth. Registration was 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. and the ride began at 9:45 p.m. The Holy Ghost grounds were a beehive of activity with riders and staff members scurrying all over the place for last minute setup, with bike repairs generously provided by Village Bicycle of Westport. Participants in the challenge chose between an 8 mile bike route that took a circuitous route through South Dartmouth, to a 25- or 50-mile route that wove through South Dartmouth and Westport all the way to Atlantic Ave in Westport Harbor. 101 riders paid a $25 entrance fee to participate.

Sue Medeiros, CFO and Controller of St. Anne’s Hospital, was the Bike Challenge Chair. Her mother, a cancer survivor, was present and received an ovation from the riders, staff members and others in attendance. Sue spoke about the importance of supporting the Hudner Center, and shared her personal experience with her mother’s cancer. James Lebelle of Village Bicycle, a major supporter of this event also shared his experiences.

Carol, president of The Friend's of St. Anne’s also thanked the many sponsors, supporters and riders of this very worthwhile Bike Challenge event.

Major sponsors of the event were: Citizens-Union Savings Bank, Village Bicycle in Westport, Buzzards Bay Brewery, Manadnok Water, and Lees Market (donated bananas & sandwiches. Citizens-Union provided a wonderful grab bag that contained: Power Bar, maps, safety information for the ride and water bottles. The Friends of St. Anne’s provided the wonderfully-bright tee shirts to all riders. Village Bicycle provided, free-of-charge, needed maintenance and last-minute bike repairs toanyone who needed them. Thanks Jim! www.villagebicycle.com

The Friends of St. Anne’s Hospital wish to thank Sam Ferreira and his crew for cooking and serving the returning riders. Also to be thanked are: Buzzards Bay Brewing, Westport Vineyard and Winery, and Monadnock Water who were there for the beverages. Thanks to Citizens-Union Employees for the ice (it wouldn’t have been too good without it). The Salter School Group was there set up with massages for the returning riders. Thanks ABC Rental for the Moonwalk and Allied Waste for the cleanup.

Approximately $30,000 was raised, and money is still coming in! All funds raised will help the Hudner Center continue in its technological advances and quality cancer care for patients throughout the Greater Fall River area.

The Friends of Saint Anne's and the Junior Friends were there in force from preparation, to set up, to registration, to checkout, to checkin. They manned the tables and did all the behind the scene things that have to get done to make an undertaking of this magnitude a success. Thanks to Dunkin Donuts and Moose Cafe for taking care of them. And many thanks Maggy Biszko and Janis Karam for handling the lottery tree and baskets in the raffle, and of course the Junior Friends for carrying it through.

This writer followed the 8-mile riders through some of the most stunning countryside on the South Coast – winding country roads through villages and farmland, historic vistas at every turn, and magnificent rural landscapes, each one a picture-perfect postcard.

Service vans, courtesy of Village Bicycle, were checking the route to assist in case of trouble. And thanks to Alert Ambulance and Response Ambulance for cruising the roads keeping track of the riders miles out in the woods. Also thanks to Sheila Wallace, Director of Security and Safety at St. Anne’s, who drove the St. Anne’s Hospital security vehicle assisting in this important oversight role.

Many hugs were passed around at the end of the ride, with Champagne flowing from Westport River Vineyards! There was volley Ball for everyone, and the kids enjoyed the bouncy house. Also at hand was a grand raffle table. The celebratory party was topped off by the music of Let's Find Lenny.   www.letsfindlenny.com

To obtain more information, call (508) 235-5055, or visit www.friendsofsaintannes.org.

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