GREENFIELD — For those who want to run, walk or cycle to help past and present cancer patients at Baystate Franklin, the 12th annual Wheeling for Healing fundraiser on Sunday.
Bruce Mainville, a nuclear medicine technologist at Baystate Franklin Medical Center, together with Dr. Howard Natenshon, spearheaded the first Wheeling for Healing event in 2008. This year’s Wheeling for Healing is dedicated to Robert “Bike Bob” Perry, determined prior to his death. Perry died of cancer in June.
“Bob was an integral part of the ride,” Mainville said. “Bob had intimate knowledge of Franklin County roads. He knew which ones were safe, I’d ask him to help lay out the 50-mile route and he’d go from memory. He was a trusted advisor. His number one thing was making sure everyone was safe. He wanted people to have fun and no one ever got left behind.”
He said Perry would donate a new bike annually for the Wheeling for Healing raffle, and this year he donated an electric hybrid to allow for comfortable recliners to be purchased by the hospital.
The money has been used for medical equipment and comfort items for patients undergoing chemotherapy at Baystate Franklin, and have also gone to assist patients with extraordinary expenses associated with their illness, including medicine not covered by insurance.
A team riding in Perry’s memory has raised over $10,000 as of Wednesday. To date, Wheeling for Healing has raised over $400,000 for cancer care and services.
“This year we’re going to break records,” Mainville added. “We have a lot of people registered online, and usually there’s another 60 to 70 that register the day of the event. I think we might see about 300 people there. It speaks to how important he was to this community.”
One of the team members and Bob’s sister, Patty Perry, said this year’s ride is bittersweet for her family.
“We have family flying out to come participate,” she said. “I’m just really glad he knew this ride was dedicated to him before he died. I’m so thrilled there are so many people riding in his honor. It expresses how much affection people had for him.”
The fundraiser will start at Greenfield Community College, with registration starting at 8 a.m. It costs $50 to register to ride, $30 to run or walk, and children ages 12 and under can participate for free.
Beginning at 8:30 a.m. the 50-mile ride will start, followed by the 25-mile ride at 9:30 a.m., the 10-mile ride at 10 a.m. and the 5K run/walk at 11 a.m. There will be lunch, prizes and a stage presentation at 12 noon. Lunch is included with the cost of registration.
Patty Perry added that, knowing her brother, he would have encouraged people to participate.
“He believed in what the ride meant, and got to experience it firsthand, too,” she said. “He was involved from the beginning and needed the services later on, so it’s important to support the hospital because you never know if you or a loved one might need those services. I’m so proud of Bob and the people who have helped contribute to make this ride a success.”
For more information about routes and the fundraiser, visit bit.ly/2Z4mOGe.
Reach Melina Bourdeau at 413-772-0261, ext. 263 or mbourdeau@recorder.com.