Registration Open for Eighth Annual Ovarian Cancer Awareness Ride for Hope
Registration is open for the eighth annual Ride for Hope, a 501(c)(3) ovarian cancer awareness motorcycle ride and celebration, conceived and organized by JuliAnne Scully, a 39-year ovarian cancer survivor and owner of JuliAnne's Hair in Roselle, IL. The 50-mile escorted charity ride begins and ends at Moretti' Ristorante and Pizzeria, 1175 W. Lake St., in Bartlett, on Sunday, June 11. Support during the ride will be provided by the EMS RoadDocs; LAMA, the Latin American Motorcycle Association, in Winfield; and the Punishers Chicago West.
Day-of registration 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., that includes Moretti's lunch and dessert buffet, and live music by The Nick Bell Band.
Event registration, which is $35, includes a Ride for Hope T-shirt, breakfast, and a door prize ticket. The after-party features a silent auction, box drawings, a $1375 Teal Chopper Gift Card raffle, a Split the Pot raffle, the Teal Marketplace, a Ride for Hope T-shirt Quilt raffle, the Survivor's Tent with LMS Comfort Dogs, an opportunity to sign the life-size teal survivor ribbons, and vendors to browse and shop. Raffle tickets to win Linda "Jo" Giovannoni's 2012 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail Classic, donated by her family, will be available for purchase. Tickets are available online at the Ride for Hope Venmo page. (https://venmo.com/u/RideForHope-OvarianCancerAware.)
Ride for Hope raises funds to help local women who have financial hardships from ongoing medical treatment for their ovarian cancer, and support the Midwest programs of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC). This year, four cancer warriors have been selected as Ride for Hope recipients: Lynn, a Carpentersville resident battling ovarian cancer for the second time; Lisa, a Route 66 HOG Chapter member from Darien, who was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer that started in her breast and has spread throughout her whole body; Rosie, a bilingual kindergarten teacher from Elgin and single mother of eight-year-old twins, who is undergoing chemotherapy for stage three ovarian cancer; and Cody, from Palatine, who lost her mother to ovarian cancer, and now faces the battle herself with earnings that barely cover the out-of-pocket insurance costs for her treatment. "Only 15% of cases are diagnosed at stage 1," said Scully. "Our recipients are nominated, vetted, and chosen based on need. They become part of our TEAL Family Where No One Fights Alone."
In 2015, its inaugural year, Ride for Hope raised $25,600. Since then, Ride for Hope has raised an additional $215,574. "What started as a way to help the NOCC create awareness for the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer has grown into a community event - with riders from many clubs and groups from all over the area - to raise money for local women in their fight for survival," Scully said.
Scully bought her first bike to celebrate her 25-year cancer-free anniversary. "To date, there is no early detection test for ovarian cancer," she said, "consequently, most cases are diagnosed in their later stages." One in 78 women is diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year, and approximately 15,000 women die from the disease annually. Illinois ranks #5 in the nation for the most ovarian cancer deaths. "Our goal in fundraising is to ease the financial burdens of our recipients, celebrate our survivor's anniversaries, honor those who have gone before us, and help more women Take Early Action and Live," Scully said.
To register for the ride and after-party visit the Ride for Hope page on Eventbrite, (http://rideforhope2023.eventbrite.com). To join the 2023 Ride for Hope TEAL family of volunteers, donate, or learn important information about the early warning signs of ovarian cancer, visit www.rideforhopeil.org.