By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
A giving spirit led a group of Aroostook County residents on a bicycle trip that spanned the length of the state a few months back.
The second annual Spokes For Hope Ride from Fort Kent to Kittery Sept. 1-5 served as a fundraiser for four cancer organizations – the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope and Healing, Children’s Hospital Boston and Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Contributed photo
The Spokes for Hope bicycling contingent which took the trip from Fort Kent to Kittery in September included, from left, Brent Jepson, Jonathan Kelley, Stephanie Caverhill, Kyle Washington, Dan Jandreau and Brent Grass.Here they took a rest stop on the Presque Isle Road showing off their matching LiveStrong jerseys.
Cycling the entire 400 miles were Jonathan Kelley, Kyle Washington, Brent Jepson, Dan Jandreau, Brent Grass and Stephanie Caverhill. Driving support vehicles were Penny McHatten and Denise Young.
Caverhill, a Caribou resident who is a massage therapist in Presque Isle, began cycling a few years back but when her grandmother was diagnosed with cancer three years ago, decided to do it for a cause and registered for the Trek Across Maine, a 180-mile event that begins in Bethel and finishes up in the Rockland area.
“I started cycling because I am passionate about it but this passion has led me to so much more,” Caverhill said. “I realized that I could take my passion for cycling to help people suffering with cancer but also to empower and inspire others to take care of yourself, exercise, eat well and take preventative measures that can help you decrease your chances of getting sick.”
Caverhill was glad there were some new cyclists involved this year to experience the ride.
“This year, we were hesitant to add more riders due to not being sure if we could handle more cyclists with transportation and other things, but lo and behold people joined us along the way and it went very well,” Caverhill said.
“It was great to share the experience with some of the guys that we ride with throughout the year,” she added.
The weather cooperated for the most part, Caverhill said, but high winds were dominant during the five-day trip.
“It is pretty empowering when you finish a hilly ride with winds and be thankful that you could do it. The conversation came up several times on the trip about how we were thankful that we could do this thing because cancer patients simply can’t. That is one of the things this ride means to us,” she said. “We will ride because others simply can’t and also we can encourage other people to take charge of their lives, get out there exercise and give back.”
Jandreau said the challenge of a long ride was appealing.
“I heard about this venture the year before but it was too late and I was not in the proper shape to ride it, but basically invited myself into this year’s group,” said Jandreau, a Caribou optometrist. “I trained quite a bit.”
Overnight stops were taken in Smyrna, Bangor, Augusta and Portland.
Kelley came up with the idea last year and pitched it to four friends – Caverhill, Washington, Melanie Stewart and Jeff Bennett. The five participated in the inaugural 2009 ride.
“It marked five years since my father’s passing from cancer and my uncle had just been diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma,” Kelley said, “and I wanted to do something to help with the cause. We all love to bike and several had wanted to take the trip from Kittery to Maine, so it was a great way to piggyback it with something bigger.”
According to the Spokes for Hope website, each team member covered their own expenses, with 100 percent of the proceeds will benefit the cancer organizations.
“One of the things that I hear from people is ‘I could never ride a bike the entire length of the state.’ Well, how do you know if you never try?” Caverhill added. “The only thing that stands in the way of success is yourself.”
For more information on the ride, visit the website www.spokesforhope.com.
