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Ride for Hope rallies community support for the Kris Stary Family Cancer Benefit

Ride for Hope, a registered 501(c) (3) Illinois charity, conceived and organized by JuliAnne Scully, is hosting a special one-day only benefit to raise money for Kris Stary, a Palatine High School teacher battling cancer, from 1-5 p.m. on Dec. 3, at Moretti's Ristorante and Pizzeria, 1175 W. Lake St., in Bartlett. Tickets are available at https://starybenefit.eventbrite.com, $35 for adults and $20 for children, ages 10 and younger. The Stary Family Benefit features a Moretti's buffet lunch, sweet table, live music by Bronson Rock, silent auction items, a gift card tree raffle worth over $1,000, pictures with Santa on his motorcycle, and a live auction of a Bernedoodle puppy.

"Kris Stary was originally diagnosed with ovarian cancer," said Scully a 39-year ovarian cancer survivor. "Several people in the community reached out to me, because of Ride for Hope's fundraising efforts to support local women battling this silent disease, and, as we do, we jumped right in and planned an event. Three weeks later, Stary's doctors realized she had been misdiagnosed and had Urothelial Carcinoma Cancer in her liver and all her urinary organs. Kris' husband, Matt, called and said, 'It's not Ovarian Cancer. I don't think it's fair for Ride for Hope to help us.' I told him, 'Cancer isn't fair, and in this family no one fights alone. We will help you.'"

Stary's two children attend Conant High School in Schaumburg, where her oldest plays football.

"These football moms and the whole high school community have come together to help one of their own by volunteering and helping to solicit donations for silent auction items and a $1,000 gift card tree raffle that includes $100 of gas cards," said Scully.

Tickets for the gift card tree raffle are $20 each, five for $100, and available at Venmo.

Support has also come from many Ride for Hope teal tribe volunteers and supporters, including Never Ending Cycles who have donated two new black Cruisers (www.neverendingcyclesshop.com); and event sponsors: Marathon Sportswear who is printing the event T-shirts; Romantix, Inc.; Dazzles Salon and Spa in Roselle; Moretti's; and Hollie Doodleman Kennel in Iowa, who donated the Bernedoodle puppy (www.gooddog.com).

"We also have had great success gathering silent auction items, including a five foot by nine-foot handmade Blackhawks quilt; dinner at Ricardo's Ristorante; a hand crocheted afghan in the Conant Cougar colors, a Yeti cooler, Bourbon baskets, a Coach cross-body bag; a Golf Center Des Plaines package, hairstyling products, a holiday planter from Pesche's Flowers, and a complete care package for the Bernedoodle puppy including an up-to-date vaccination record, grooming and training certificates, food, toys, a leash and harness, and a crate. There is something for everyone," said Scully.

Next year's Ride for Hope, the ninth annual event, is on July 14, 2024. The 50-mile scenic, escorted ride begins at and returns to Moretti's Ristorante and Pizzeria, 1175 W. Lake St., in Bartlett. Day-of registration for the ride is 8-10 a.m., with kickstands up at 10:30 a.m. Riders and nonriders are then welcome at the after-party from 1-4: p.m., which includes the Moretti's lunch and dessert buffet, live music, silent auctions, a Split the Pot raffle, the Teal Marketplace, the LMS Comfort Dogs, an opportunity to sign the life-size teal survivor ribbons, and the annual Chopper Gift Card raffle.

Visit the Ride for Hope website at www.rideforhopeil.org for information about the Stary Family Benefit, and the 2024 ride.

To join the teal tribe of volunteers and sponsors, contact JuliAnne Scully at ocrideforhope2015@gmail.com or on Facebook at Ride for Hope-Schaumburg.

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