Beverly, Morgan Park women among growing number of female participants in pediatric cancer ride
Erin Flood, of Beverly, laughed and said Patrick McNamara liked playing sports so he would’ve loved seeing bikers come together to raise money for pediatric cancer.
The Pat Mac’s Pack, a charity that supports pediatric brain tumor research, was created to honor McNamara, who died at 13 years old from a pediatric brain tumor. Flood recalled McNamara, who was her brother’s best friend, being excited when the foundation partnered with St. Baldrick’s Foundation to hold an event to raise money for childhood cancer research.
“He said ‘this is the best day of my life,’ so I’m sure it would be very similar that his response would be like ‘this is the best thing ever,’ all the money being raised and all the kids they are helping,” Flood said.
The foundation’s 9th annual Pat Mac Ride pedals off Friday as hundreds of bikers leave from St. Barnabas Parish School in Beverly, where McNamara went to school, to Notre Dame Catholic Church in Michigan City, Indiana, which covers a distance of 100 kilometers or about 62 miles.
The charity ride began in 2014 with 44 riders raising $25,000 and has grown with 230 riders participating last year and raising $285,000. This year, more women have signed up to participate in the ride, which as of Wednesday afternoon raised $212,730 of its $300,000 goal, according to the foundation.
Flood, 24, who is participating for the first time, said she looks forward to the experience because she’ll be doing it with her dad, an avid cyclist who inspired her passion for cycling, as well as her aunt, uncle and boyfriend.
“I really wanted to do it this year. I’m training for a weeklong bike ride anyway, so this is good practice,” Flood said. “I love to get involved.”
Flood is a nurse in the adult oncology unit at the University of Chicago, where they focus on adults with blood cancers and offer them stem cell transplants, she said, so she’s seen firsthand how cancer affects patients and their families.
She’s seen friends and family members of patients create fundraising pages to raise money for a patient who can’t afford treatment, Flood said, and she’s also seen patients excited to go home after being in the hospital for a few weeks.
“I see a lot of very sad situations and happy situations at the same time,” Flood said. “Cancer touches everyone, so it’s important to help out where you can.”
Ellen Antonsen, 63, said this will be her third year riding, and she’s happy to see more women signed up. Antonsen said she enjoys the bike ride because it allows her to give back and be a part of a biking community.
“It’s such a joy to be apart of the fundraising and the camaraderie,” Antonsen said. “For me to tag along with them and be a part of this fundraising is an honor.”
Antonsen said she’d describe herself as a casual cyclist, as she enjoys riding around her neighborhood in Morgan Park or to the beach, but cycling in the Pat Mac Ride makes her feel like she’s pedaling with a purpose.
She said she takes it easy on the course, completing it in about seven hours, as she uses each of the five rest stops to stretch and get water. Along the route, Antonsen said she likes to ride on the Erie Lackawanna Trail in Indiana because it is lined with trees.
“It’s not a race. It’s a bike ride and a beautiful day,” Antonsen said.
The best moment of the ride, she said, is riding into the finish line with all the music and supporters along the final push.
“It’s great to pull into the lot, see that finish line and hear that music and people cheering,” Antonsen said.
