Southington Man Rides For Cancer-Survivor Wife At Fenway Park Cycling Event

SOUTHINGTON, CT/BOSTON, MASS. — A Southington couple was among hundreds of participants who gathered at Fenway Park last Saturday for a unique cycling event to raise money for cancer research.

They were at the home of the Boston Red Sox for the Pan-Mass Challenge’s 11th annual Winter Cycle, a fundraising event supporting cancer research and care at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

Brian Reeves of Southington took part in the indoor cycling event, completing multiple spin sessions while being supported by his wife, Katie Reeves, who attended the event.

Participants could ride in up to six sessions throughout the day, raising money for Dana-Farber through individual and team fundraising.

The cause is personal for the Reeves family.

Katie Reeves is a breast cancer survivor and is currently receiving treatment at Dana-Farber, where funds raised by the Pan-Mass Challenge help support patient care and cancer research.

The Winter Cycle draws riders from across New England and serves as a year-round extension of the Pan-Mass Challenge, a longstanding nonprofit fundraising organization for Dana-Farber.

The event comes amid financial challenges facing cancer research nationwide.

The National Cancer Institute has projected funding for approximately 4 percent of grant applications, down from about 9 percent the previous year.

Organizers and participants said reductions in public funding have increased the importance of private fundraising efforts to sustain research and treatment programs.

"I ride in honor of Katie, who's a breast cancer survivor and current patient at Dana-Farber, so I know all the money is going toward something everyone in this room and this organization needs," Brian Reeves said of his experience. "It is very special, very meaningful."

During a time of year when cabin fever can really set in, Brian Reeves said it was nice to visit Beantown on a day where, despite the cold, he could still get around the city.

"It was great to get up here, see the city, walk around a little," he said.

For more information and to donate to the Pan-Mass Challenge Winter Cycle, click on this link.