2019 cancer research bike tour
It all came about seven years ago, when cancer survivors Scott Silverstine and Howard Ross were discussing “how not to ride (bicycles) just for pleasure,” Silverstine recalled.
This was the start of the Cancer Research Bike Tour, which the two men co-founded. The sixth annual event takes place this month with eight area cyclists, all cancer survivors, who will ride a minimum aggregate of 4,000 miles to raise awareness and funds for cancer research at Johns Hopkins Medicine.
“We wanted to make an impact,” said Silverstine of Harrisburg. “We realized that most charities take a pretty significant chunk off the top for administration. Plus, a lot of these bike events required riders to donate to participate. We don’t believe that people who survived cancer should have to pay to ride.”
Ross is a bladder cancer survivor of seven years, while Silverstine was diagnosed with prostate cancer 11 years ago. Both Silverstine and Ross received treatment at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, a part of Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins.
Both credit the medical facility for saving their lives.
“I called Hopkins on a Friday, and they took me in on Monday,” said Silverstine, whose father also had prostate cancer. “They told me, ‘We don’t let anyone wait for treatment.’”
Thirty days after doctors removed his prostate gland, Silverstine began a prescribed series of radiation treatments. Since then, he’s remained “on watch” with regular scans for “six or seven years” now.
Ross also continues to go in for checkup scans every three months. Last summer, he endured a third related surgery backed by a six-week round of chemotherapy. All in all, “I’m doing very well,” he noted recently.
“Cancer survivors are all sorts of people who have faced the fear of this crazy disease, and we all hope that our children and our grandchildren won’t have to live with that same fear,” Ross said.
Over the years, Silverstine, Ross and their team have raised over $15,000 in donations through the biking event, said Ashley F. Marshall, senior associate director of development at Kimmel Cancer Center.
“Last year marked their most successful bike tour to date, raising over $6,700 for Johns Hopkins Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center,” she said. “It was an amazing accomplishment.”
This year, event sponsors include the Faulkner Family of Automobile Dealerships, CR Automotive Detailings and Charney Investment Group.
“We continue to be grateful to the riders, sponsors and the Harrisburg community committed to the cause,” Marshall said.
This year, the tour is offering donor incentives like free ice cream, store credits and coupons for the first time. All donations are tax deductible.
“The goal behind our event is that we hope they find a cure for this pernicious disease,” Ross said.
The Cancer Research Bike Tour takes place during the month of July. To help fund cancer research, visit www.supportthetour.com.
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