BOE Members Bike Riding for Breast Cancer

The ride is designed to benefit those who have been diagnosed with breast cancer—and two board of education members are taking on the 220-mile ride to raise thousands of dollars.

Board of education president Evan Lerner and board member Jeffrey Brookner are participating in the Tour de Pink, riding from Philadelphia to Washington D.C. as “Team Bridgewater” to raise money for the cause.

“The beneficiary of the ride is the Young Survival Coalition, a charity devoted to helping young women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer,” Lerner said.

The charity, Lerner said, was co-founded by his friend, Lisa Frank, who is a five-time cancer survivor, and has had to deal with metastatic breast cancer this year.

“She’s very inspirational,” he said.

Initially, Lerner said, he was part of a Boston-New York ride in the 1990s to raise money for AIDS research, and then Frank asked him to ride for this new cause six years ago.

“I’ve been in it since,” he said.

The first ride, Lerner said, was from Boston to New York, with the second going from New York to Hershey, Pennsylvania. For the next four years, he said, the ride was from Hershey to New York City.

“Hershey dropped out after the 2010 ride, and last year’s ride was several loops in and through New Jersey and Pennsylvania,” he said.

And this year’s ride, which will be held Sept. 28 through Sept. 30, is Philadelphia through Washington D.C., by way of Lancaster.

“All riders doing the ride will likely raise in the aggregate over $650,000 this year alone,” Lerner said.

About four years ago, Lerner said, he asked Brookner to join in in the ride.

“I’d estimate that together we’ll have raised about $24,000 for the beneficiary charity by the time the ride starts next month,” Lerner said.

And this year, the two have formed “Team Bridgewater” to raise the funds together. Each rider, Lerner said, must raise at least $2,500 to participate in the ride.

“Team Bridgewater is Jeffrey and me,” he said. “We had thought about actively recruiting more riders, and I think each of us tried a little, but in the end didn’t succeed. Turns out the ride filled up quickly so there may not have been room for more Bridgewater riders if they didn’t sign up early.”

At this point, Lerner said, he and Brookner have raised between $2,500 and $3,000. Lerner said they are committed to raising at least $5,000.

Lerner said the ride is a great opportunity, and it is a special event.

“Probably 50 percent of the riders are survivors, which is another thing that makes it quite special,” he said.

For more information about the ride, visit ysctourdepink.com.

For more information on the beneficiary, visit youngsurvival.org.

To donate money to Team Bridgewater, click here.