Ride for Hope 10th Annual Ride and Celebration

Ride for Hope Celebrates Ten Years of Raising Funds and Awareness for Ovarian Cancer

Ride for Hope, a 501(c)(3) charity, conceived and organized by JuliAnne Scully, a 41-year ovarian cancer survivor and owner of JuliAnne’s Hair in Roselle, IL will celebrate ten years of raising funds and awareness for Ovarian Cancer with their annual motorcycle ride and celebration on Sunday, June 1. The 70-mile escorted ride begins and ends at Moretti’s Ristorante and Pizzeria, 1175 West Lake Street in Bartlett with kickstands up at 10:30a and an after party at 1:00p. Support during the ride will be provided by the Kane County Sheriffs; the Cook County Sheriffs; the Kane County Office of Emergency Management; local police departments along the route; EMS RoadDocs; LAMA, the Latin American Motorcycle Association, in Winfield; and the Punishers Chicago West.

Event registration, https://www.eventbrite.com/e/9th-annual-ride-for-hope-ovarian-cancer-tickets-823295317457?aff=erelexpmlt) is $35 and includes a Ride for Hope T-shirt, breakfast, and the after-party. Day-of registration is also available on-site from 8:00–10:00am, and riders can enjoy a complimentary breakfast of pastries from Great American Bagel and Jarosch Bakery as well as fresh fruit, coffee, and water. A DJ will get the party started and vendors will be set up for some pre-ride shopping. Riders and non-riders are welcome at the after-party, from 1:00–4:00pm, that features a Moretti’s lunch and dessert buffet, including Italian beef sandwiches, chicken fingers, a garden salad, macaroni and cheese, Diana’s frozen chocolate covered bananas, fruit, cakes, and cookies. Live music by Freebyrd: Chicago’s Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Band; a Teal Chopper Gift Card raffle worth $1200; a Bourbon/whiskey pull; a wine pull; a Split the Pot raffle; and vendors to browse and shop make this the party of the summer. The annual silent auction and box drawing will feature a Harley Davidson Retro Pub Table and Stools, an Ooni Koda 12 Outdoor gas-powered pizza oven, a handmade teal quilt, a RecTec Deck Boss Smoker Grill, as well as specialty item baskets to help raise funds. Survivors, family, and friends can visit the Teal Marketplace, the Survivor’s Tent with LMS Comfort Dogs, and sign the life-size teal survivor ribbons. “Once again,” Scully said, “we are indebted to our sponsors who help offset our costs especially Law Tigers, US LawShield, Alley 64 on Palatine, Hupy & Abraham, and Dazzles Salon & Spa.

Ride for Hope raises funds to help local women who have financial hardships from ongoing medical treatment for their ovarian cancer and to support the Midwest programs of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC). “Our recipients are vetted and chosen based on need. They become part of our TEAL Family Where No One Fights Alone,” said Scully. This year the charity is raising money for Trina from Bolingbrook and Aida from Chicago. “What started as a way to help the NOCC create awareness for the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer has grown into a community event—with riders from many clubs and groups from all over the area—to raise money for local women in their fight for survival,” Scully said. Scully’s journey began more than forty years ago with her own diagnosis. On the 25^th anniversary of her remission she bought a motorcycle and has been riding ever since.

“As we celebrate our tenth year, we continue to attend health fairs and trade shows and use social media to post information. It’s a year-round effort. Our website, https://www.rideforhopeil.org/, has information about risk factors and symptoms to be aware of.” The education part of the Ride for Hope mission is very important because insurance does not cover many of the costs that arise during treatment such as experimental trials, prescriptions, travel and lodging out of state to other facilities, for example. “The more you know, the more you listen to your own body and familiarize yourself with the signs and symptoms, the more you can advocate for yourself,” Scully said.

There is no specific test for Ovarian Cancer. The symptoms present as many different lesser illnesses such as pain in the pelvic or abdominal area, back pain, bloating, feeling full quickly when eating, and bleeding. At the point when the cancer is found, it is most often in the later stages and has spread throughout the body. One in 78 women is diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year, and approximately 15,000 women die from the disease annually. Illinois ranks #5 in the nation for the most ovarian cancer deaths. “Our goal in fundraising is to ease the financial burdens of our recipients, celebrate our survivor’s anniversaries, honor those who have gone before us, and help more women Take Early Action and Live,” Scully said.

For up-to-date information about the June 1 ride and celebration, visit https://www.facebook.com/RideforHopeSchaumburg or the website. Volunteers are always welcome, and donations can be made on venmo.com.