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With this year’s 11th annual Westwood Kids Pan Mass Challenge ride on the horizon for Sunday, June 10, at 8:30 a.m., it’s hard to believe that the very first ride was over a decade ago.
Started by Denise Singleton and a group of Westwood residents in 2008, the event was inspired by Westwood local Brett Hobson. An infant at the time, Brett was diagnosed with a rare leukemia and received a bone marrow transplant at 7 months at Dana Farber/Children’s Hospital. Today, Brett is a healthy, vibrant 6th grader at Thurston Middle School.
Krista Hobson, Brett’s mom, remembers the 2008 ride. “I’ll never forget the day of the first Westwood PMC kid’s ride," she says. "As part of the small team that started the event, we were all concerned about attendance but knew going into ride day that we had over 400 kids signed up to pedal. Seeing all of the neighborhood kids up early, riding their bikes over to the event in their PMC tees was very moving.”
Flash-forward to the 2010 Westwood Kids ride, dedicated to Alexa Kelly (also from Westwood), who was diagnosed with leukemia at 5 years old and underwent 24 months of treatment with Dana-Farber. “I remember driving home from the hospital and there were signs along 109 saying 'Welcome home Alexa,'” says Kelly. “It was a really cool feeling. I don’t remember this, but my mom tells me I had to beg the doctors to let me go home for two days. It was a nice welcoming home day after being in the hospital for five weeks.” Alexa is now 13 and has been cancer-free since May 2012. “As a survivor, it’s a special feeling participating in the Westwood Kids ride. It’s a fun day to be a part of, especially knowing that all the money goes to help support cancer research and treatment.”
Remarkably, community efforts to date (in Westwood alone) for this annual ride have raised over $540,000 to help fund life-saving cancer research. Out of all the kids rides affiliated with the Pan-Mass Challenge across the state (there are 38 towns participating this year), Westwood has consistently been ranked among the top five in fundraising since its inception.
Over the years, the faces behind the scenes have changed, but the message remains the same. “It’s a unique event for kids to get involved with,” explains Sara Mirson, this year’s Westwood Ride co-coordinator along with Yelena Elman. “While kids get to have fun spending the morning out on their bike with friends, they also have the opportunity to learn at a young age they too can do their part in helping to give back to those in their community who need their support.” Mirson volunteered at the larger Pan Mass Challenge ride for eight years before getting on her bike last year riding the one-day challenge from Wellesley to Bourne. This year will be her second year as a rider.
“In planning this event, it’s been awesome to see how the Westwood community rallies together to get involved with both volunteering their time to keep the ride going, year after year, as well as getting their kids to participate and fundraise,” says Yelena Elman. Elman is new to Westwood and was looking to support the town in a meaningful way when she agreed to help co-run this year’s ride.
“It’s a fun event for kids at any age,” says Allisa Freiberger of Westwood, now 11. Allisa was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a type of brain cancer, in October 2014, and has been honored as a pedal partner at the last few Westwood Kids rides. “There are obstacle courses for little kids, and a shorter one-mile ride for anyone who doesn’t think they can do the big loop. It’s great to see how many people come out to ride.”
“After closing remarks that first year,” says Krista Hobson “my one-year-old, Brett, leaned into the mic and just as he had practiced many times before said, ‘THANK YOU WESTWOOD!’ That says it all. We are very grateful to be part of a town where so many rally to make a real difference in many things, including fighting this serious disease that impacts so many.”
To sign up to ride or volunteer at this year’s Westwood PMC Kids ride on Sunday, June 10 (8:30 - 11 a.m.) visit kids.pmc.org/westwood.
