Sudbury Couple Will Bike To End Alzheimer’s

SUDBURY, MA — A married Sudbury couple that lost two loved ones to Alzheimer’s will hit the road on Thursday to raise money to fund research on the disease — although their ride will be a bit different due to coronavirus.

David and Joan Eagan will bike 30 miles on Thursday in the 24th annual Ride to End Alzheimer’s. Participants usually ride together for the fundraiser, but this year bikers are going out solo or in small groups to observe social distancing guidelines.

The ride is personal for the couple. They've each lost a parent to Alzheimer’s.

"We lost Dave's mom, Jackie, to early-onset Alzheimer's disease—she died at just 62. Our fundraising team, Jackie's Riders, is named in her honor," Joan Eagan said in a news release. "We also lost [my] dad Bill to this awful disease. And we now have dear friends who are being impacted, one as a patient and the other as primary caregiver."

The Eagans will ride with a group of friends and family along the Charles River Bike Path from Waltham to the Charlestown Naval Shipyard, home of the USS Constitution.

Almost all the money raised from the Ride to End Alzheimer’s will go toward researching the disease. This year, the ride has a goal of raising $250,000, with $183,000 already raised as of Wednesday. The 2020 ride is still accepting participants.