The Tribune

THIS year’s Ride For Hope was once again a huge success with more than 400 riders cycling across Eleuthera to aid in the fight against cancer.

Since its inception in 2006, in what seemed like an ambitious effort to get riders from around the Bahamas to converge in a staging area near Governor’s Harbour to pedal up to 100 miles, Ride for Hope has grown into an annual rite.

According to its other co-founder, Susan Holowesko Larson, two, 20-foot containers could hold all the bikes with room to spare in the early years.

“Now,” she said, “with hundreds of bikes, we are filling up to four, 40-foot containers.”

To date, some 1,500 cyclists have pedaled 45,000 miles to raise more than $1.45 million for cancer patients, facilities, for research and prevention.

This year’s event, held this past Saturday, was so popular that requests for volunteer support were filled nearly a month in advance.

More than 430 persons biked along the route with family members and friends cheering them along on the sidelines. This was the first time the event was held in October, cancer awareness month. In the past, it was held in April.

Funds raised by Ride for Hope are distributed through its foundation to the Bahamas Breast Cancer Initiative, Cancer Caring Centre, the Cancer Society of the Bahamas, Emory University, the Family Islands Mammogram Screening Programme and the Ride for Hope Treatment Fund.