Thank you for joining us for the PINK RIDE this year either in person or here virtually!  The PINK RIDE is a fun community event that supports a serious cause: cancer patients at St. Joseph Hospital.  When you donate to the PINK RIDE you are caring for your neighbors and your friends who are on their cancer journey. 

Keryn Matson's Story:

Two years ago, while breast feeding her youngest child, Keryn Matson was in pain. She reached out to her doctor in Massachusetts and was diagnosed with breast cancer. Unfortunately, her insurance would not fully cover care with that doctor, who was out of network.

So, she asked her neighbor, who also had breast cancer, for a recommendation of where to go closer to home. “I feel like the Lord put me at St. Joseph Hospital for a reason,” says Keryn. “I was so nervous at first but after meeting Dr. Mano, I felt at total peace about receiving care at St. Josephs… Lisa is my oncology nurse: she is my mom at St. Josephs, always looking out for me.... Kelly McCallister: she runs the show down there. I cannot convey enough how wonderful she has been… The nurses are the glue of the breast cancer center – they keep us all together.”

According to Keryn, that’s what makes St. Joseph different: the people at the breast cancer center were always there to support her.

And you can be there too. Your donation to the PINK RIDE supports all the cancer patients at St. Josephs.

In June, Keryn took part in the tradition of ringing the bell upon the completion of her chemo. “I am not the most emotional person, but I wanted to ring that bell so hard that I’d knock it right off the wall because I was so done with chemo,” remembers Keryn. Since then, Keryn has received a double mastectomy, and this February will finish her long-term preventative care drugs to help keep the cancer at bay.

“No one wants to have cancer,” says Keryn “But St. Joseph's has made it as good as it can be. There is always positive in every negative.”

In memory of Michaela McLaughlin

This year we are honoring the life and memory of a special snowmobiler, Michaela McLaughlin. Michaela passed away on February 12, 2019 at the tender age of 22 after a long journey with duodenal cancer. Michaela was a graduate of Hollis Brookline High School and was studying Industrial Engineering at Northeastern University in Boston. She enjoyed hiking, skiing and snowmobiling and was happy being outdoors.

“She was always willing to bend over backwards for others. I think that all of her friends would say she was always there for them,” Kara McLaughlin, Michaela’s sister said in an interview with The Huntington News. “There were times where she would be so sick, and she was still willing to listen to everyone else’s stories and try to help them. She was just so resilient, and she taught us so, so much.”

To honor her fighting spirit, The Nor’easter Snowmobile Club has named a snowmobile and hiking trail in her memory, “Michaela’s Way.” Michaela’s Way is adorned with a granite bench allowing for rest or reflection before entering the tranquil, Zen-like trail. Wind chimes and mountains welcome you at the start of the trail, opening to a fantastic field full of wildflowers. The Michaela’s Way Trail was built by Amos White – a dear friend of the McLaughlin family. Amos spent many hours building the trail and planting the now called “field of flowers.” We hope many will hike and ride through this special trail for years to come. Michaela’s Way can be found on trail PT501 near junction Mi1. Look for "Michaela's Way" sign.

To honor Michaela or your loved one, please include a note with your donation. 

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
Cross Insurance
DomestiKitchens
Jennings Excavation
Little Beginnings of Windham