Since 2019 Camp Verde resident Elizabeth “Betty” McGinnis has been cycling in the annual Pan-Mass Challenge in Massachusetts and her list of reasons to continue raising funds for cancer research and patient care at Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute grows.
“Every year I have to add new names to my tags, which means someone I know was recently diagnosed with cancer,” McGinnis said about her fifth year riding in the PMC. “I just want to keep the funding going so that hopefully someday they’ll find a treatment to beat this disease. I’ve lost family members and friends, and I’m hoping we can pull together. 100% of the money I and every other rider raises, goes to Dana-Farber, and they’ve made amazing strides in treating childhood and brain cancer.”
Among the tags that McGinnis will carry on her back Saturday, Aug. 2, as she pedals the 84 miles from Babson College in Wellesley, Mass., to Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Bourne are the names of Mickey Kilbourne, Barbara Ann Larson, Carol Bernasconi, Sherry Casey and Karen Casey.
“But perhaps most of all in her sister, Catherine Casey, who died from cancer on Nov. 30, 2017, and inspired McGinnis to join PMC.
“I probably have over 50 names on my jersey,” McGinnis said about the tags that include survivors and the deceased.
My sister “went through several surgeries and a year and a half of rehab and treatments,” McGinnis wrote on her fundraising page. “She was very strong and strong-willed and worked hard to beat this terrible disease, but the cancer prevailed and took her life. She left behind a loving husband, Kevin; her children, Alex, Patrick, Matthew and Liz; her dad; nine siblings and their spouses; and many nieces, nephews and grandchildren.”
This year over 6,800 cyclists come together on the weekend of Aug. 2 and 3 over 14 different routes between 25 to 186 miles across the Massachusetts Commonwealth. PMC’s goal this year is raising $76 million for Dana-Farber and since the fundraiser’s inaugural year in 1980 it has raised over $1 billion.
McGinnis’ fundraising goal is $4,000 and she has started her training regime of hopping on her bike at 6 a.m. before starting her job as director of the Chapel of the Holy Cross and Gift Shop Operations in Sedona.
“I did 13 miles this morning because I was away for the weekend, so, I’ll build it up to probably 25 [miles] by the end of the week and next week, I’ll build it up to 35 [miles,]” McGinnis said.
Verde Valley residents can “see me riding in Camp Verde, and also in the Village of Oak Creek we’ve just built a warehouse, and I’ve been consumed by that.
“But on my lunch hour, if it’s not too hot, I’ll ride up and down Verde Valley School Road and Jacks Canyon Road and then probably next week, they’ll probably see me riding from the office in the [VOC] up to the Chapel of the Holy Cross early in the morning.”
Despite not considering herself a “typical cyclist” and acknowledging her personal challenges with weight, McGinnis is determined to once more complete the ride.
“What I’m doing to prepare for this is nothing compared to what the people who have had cancer go through,” McGinnis said.
Reflecting on her relationship with her sister, McGinnis said that the opportunity to visit her in October 2017 stands out among her memories.
“One of the last times I was able to go back and visit with her and it was just a beautiful, exceptionally warm weekend, and we sat on her back porch, and we actually planned all of her music for her funeral, because she knew her death was imminent at that point in time,” McGinnis said.
“Once we finished all the music for that, we sat and sang all the Irish songs that we’d been singing for our whole life,” she said.
“We selected anything with a little Irish flair to it, so we put in ‘Lord of Hopefulness,’ which is a Celtic tune.”
One of the things McGinnis said she remains hopeful for is to someday not have to raise funds for cancer research and care.
“I’m hoping some year I won’t have to do this, but we haven’t found a cure for cancer yet, and there are several staff members and friends here in Sedona that have been recently diagnosed with cancer,” McGinnis said.
“I ride for all the people … [who] have been diagnosed and been treated and trying to beat this.”
For more information and to donate to McGinnis’ ride visit profile.pmc.org/EM0289
