Ride for Hope Donates Over $25,000 to National Ovarian Cancer Coalition

The inaugural Ride for Hope, a charity motorcycle ride and celebration conceived and organized by JuliAnne Scully, owner/operator of JuliAnne's Salon & Spa in Schaumburg, donated $25,600 on August 2, 2015 to the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC). To date, nationwide, this is the largest third party donation to the NOCC.

Scully is a 28-year stage three ovarian cancer survivor. "I am at a point in my life where I am ready and able to give back. I founded Ride for Hope as a charity to help spread awareness of this dreaded women's disease," Scully said. "I chose to donate the proceeds from the event to the NOCC because they do an excellent job working to prevent and cure ovarian cancer, and to improve the quality of life for survivors." According to the NOCC, there is no early detection test for ovarian cancer; consequently, most cases are diagnosed in their later stages. More that 20,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian caner each year, and approximately 15,000 women die annually from the disease. The NOCC also partners with Stand Up 2 Cancer to research genetic sequencing and DNA repair therapies. "We hope our fundraising efforts will assist the NOCC so they can continue the work of these researchers and help to make more women aware of the early signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer," Scully said.

The event began at 10:00am at JuliAnne's Salon & Spa in Schaumburg. Eighty-nine motorcyclists, including Scully, road 100 miles out west, through the back roads of Illinois. They returned to St. Peter Lutheran Church in Schaumburg, and were joined by over 200 people for a celebration that included live music, food, raffle prizes, and a silent auction. The event was sponsored by Kirsch Landscaping, Parkway Bank, Tressler Law Firm, Tom Peck Ford, Scully, Inc., Golden Graphics, Head's Red BBQ, Surface, Moretti's, Craft Brew, State Farm agent Brad Sutter, Wyatt Austin Jewelers, Cerami Construction Company, Wolford Retail Builders, Woodstock Harley Davidson, Frato's, Riccardo's Ristorante, Gat Guns, Hip Pockit, Redmond's Towing, Trans Tech IT Staffing, Jewelry & Coin Mart, and the Schaumburg UPS Store.

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and Scully has already set July 31, 2016 as the date for the Second Annual Ride for Hope. "We are committed to increasing awareness, and we hope to double our attendance. Our goal for next year is to raise $30,000," she said.

For more information about ovarian cancer visit www.ovarian.org. To join the 2016 Ride for Hope, or to make a donation, call JuliAnne Scully at 847-895-4591 or email ocrideforhope2015@gmail.com.