Making a Difference
One Butler County group would travel any road to battle breast cancer.
Riding for the Cure, a nonprofit organization, finished its seventh year with more than $50,000 made from its fundraisers, according to Lynda Kerr, the organization's president.
She said this has been the best year yet.
“We had 315 motorcycles this year,” Kerr added.
On the last Saturday of July, Riding for the Cure's big event of the year drew about 400 participants on those motorcycles as they rode all over the county.
Kerr said the journey of orchestrating these rides and the organization started with the diagnosis of a close friend.
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“My best friend was diagnosed at 35 with breast cancer,” Kerr said. “She has great benefits and everything, and it was still rough to get gas money together to go to her treatments all the time, feed the kids and take care of the small things.”
Wanting to do something for her friend and others like her, Kerr started the ride with a group of motivated enthusiasts and a phone call to Butler Health System.
“It started with Lynda Kerr. She called and said she had this donation and did this fundraiser,” said Kris Bowser, development specialist events manager for Butler Health System Foundation. “The first year, they presented a check for a little over $3,000.”
In September, Riding for the Cure board members handed a check for $35,155 to Ken DeFurio, president and CEO of Butler Health System, and his team of hospital administrators. The remaining portion of the $50,000 went to the Richard G. Laube Cancer Center Cancer Center in Kittanning.
“To see how that's grown from $3,000 to $35,000 has really been amazing,” Bowser said. “You can see their hearts are really in it.”
Paula Slater, a board member for the organization, said the key to their increase has been the addition of smaller events throughout the year, specifically bowling.
“It's awesome,” Slater said. “It's amazing how the community steps up and steps in and supports these events.”
This year Riding for the Cure hosted its fourth annual Bowl-A-Thon.
Amy Stavison, a board member for the organization, said the bowling event is usually in June, and offers survivors and the community a chance to fight cancer while having some fun.
“Survivors put their own teams together and there are 20 and 30 and 40 on a team,” Stavison said. “They really have a good time with it too.”
Stavison said the event also gives riders and the community a chance to talk with and hear the stories of women who beat breast cancer or are currently fighting it. They see the disease's effects firsthand.
“It's a gut check, but that's the way it is,” she said. “Heart-wrenching sometimes, but uplifting too, like wow, they made it OK, so somebody else can too.”All these events benefit local cancer care through the BHS Foundation, which raises a little over $1 million every year.“They truly are neighbors caring for neighbors. Their work is spectacular,” DeFurio said. “We are very fortunate to have them contributing to the cancer care that we provide to so many in need in the community.”DeFurio said advancements like targeted gene therapy, targeted chemotherapy and advanced pharmaceuticals have made an impact on the care cancer patients receive.“Lives are being saved, sometimes completely,” he said. “Or the cancer is held at bay and people live for years and years and years.”But, there's an obvious catch, according to DeFurio.“The outlook for cancer treatment and survival continues to improve and improve almost at an exponential rate,” he said. “Now the challenge is that it is very, very expensive.”Bowser said the money Riding for the Cure donates helps offset these costs for people by helping them with the simple things.“It's the basic everyday needs. That's who they're helping, those cancer patients that have these needs,” Bowser said. “I think we're blessed to see all those patients that they're helping.”Kerr said one of the biggest reasons people send thank you cards does not even directly relate to money.“I have gotten a lot of cards back from the people who have received them. They're just overwhelmed that a stranger has just gave them their dignity back, their self-confidence back,” Kerr said. “It's emotional sometimes.”Kerr said the halos and wigs and the army of bikers — it's all about giving those struggling with breast cancer their confidence back: The confidence that they can take care of themselves. The confidence that they are beautiful.She said confidence shouldn't be confused with bravery. Every woman fighting cancer is brave.
