photograph courtesy west cancer foundation
And ... they’re off! Next stop for the pink-jersey riders is Rosemary Beach, Florida.
Praying on the porches of families affected by cancer, savoring bites of Ms. Debbie’s pie, and smelling the scent of the sea as they cross the Florida finish line, 70 men in a wave of pink bike side-by-side each October from Memphis to Rosemary Beach in Florida. A 525-mile adventure that sounds Herculean on paper, Ride 2 Rosemary is an annual fundraising event for the West Cancer Foundation. In five days, the all-male volunteers, in addition to a group of men managing supplies and food, travel around 100 miles a day on bikes. Along their journey, they serve as ambassadors for the foundation, encouraging donations, and drawing attention to their cause.
This year’s bike ride will take place October 10-14. The female equivalent of the journey, She to Sea, also supports the West Cancer Foundation through a journey every March from Memphis to Seagrove Beach, Florida.
Ride 2 Rosemary is an invitation-only event, and it initially began in 2010 with a group of seven men. After enduring a difficult period of his life, Chuck Bolton’s friends asked him what he wanted to do after his struggle; he told them he wanted to ride to his home at Rosemary Beach. Sixteen years later, a single group’s trek has grown into a mission representative of cancer’s universal impact and the power of perseverance. Now, the group event supports the West Cancer Foundation’s many efforts to make cancer care accessible.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY WEST CANCER FOUNDATION
“You can’t really find anyone who hasn’t been affected by cancer in one way or another, and you don’t have to do it alone. If you’re in the Memphis area, we are here to support you,” says Leighanne Soden, president and founder of the West Cancer Foundation.
The foundation provides transportation for patients, cancer screenings, and free wigs for patients battling cancer who have lost their hair during treatments. Additionally, the group also started a mental wellness program to assist both patients and their caregivers. A large portion of West Cancer Foundation’s funds are spent towards providing early-detection prostate and breast cancer screenings.
“Memphis, right now, is number two [in the nation] for Black women with breast cancer. That’s not a list we want to be on, and these guys know that,” Soden says.
“If we’re not healthier partners, husbands, fathers, employees and employers through this process, and the only thing you’ve done is become a better cyclist, then you’re really missing the idea of the ride,” says Ride 2 Rosemary founder Chuck Bolton.
Instead of changing buses five times, patients are provided with Uber and Lyft rides to their chemotherapy or radiation appointments, through the West Cancer Foundation’s transportation program. Last year alone, the foundation offered around 6,700 rides and hopes to reach 10,000 rides this year. In mileage, the transportation program has traveled to the moon and halfway back, or in another analogy, traveled around the world 11 times.
“I don’t worry about whether the car is going to break down or I’m going to run out of gas. I just hop in my car and go,” says Soden. “Well, the people we work with often don’t have that option. If they have a car, it’s not reliable or broken down, or they can’t afford the gas,” Soden says.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY WEST CANCER FOUNDATION
The West Cancer Foundation also helps build patients’ confidence through programs like the Sweet Wig Beauty Boutique, where patients can receive free wigs.
“Going through treatment and losing your hair, that’s kind of like losing your crown and your glory and your identity,” says Keri Burnette, vice president of operations at the West Cancer Foundation. “By the time they leave [Sweet Wig Beauty Boutique], they’ve got a smile on their face,”
Part of the growth behind the program is through word of mouth, which is where the Ride 2 Rosemary volunteers step in. With their eye-catching pink jerseys, the men serve as a poster for the organization in addition to a brotherhood. Before the race, the West Cancer Foundation trains participants on how to raise funds along the road and refer families to Memphis. This past year, marking the 15th anniversary of Ride 2 Rosemary, the ride alone raised more than $328,000 and aims to raise $350,000 this October.
Volunteers are chosen with the intention of participating for many years, rather than riding as a one-and-done. Training through the year, attending faith walks, and supporting one another through hardship, the ride transformed from a volunteering event to a support group, a guys’ trip and safe space.
“We’ve been through a lot together,” says Bolton. “You name a topic, we’ve probably been through it together — from the death of a child, the death of a spouse, or financial issues, and we really do care for each other.”
When Bolton’s son and Eliza Fletcher, wife of cyclist Richie Fletcher, were missing in 2022, the Ride 2 Rosemary men came together to form a search party, supporting Bolton and Fletcher’s families. Through their hardest moments, the men bound together with an outpouring of compassion. A large component of the ride and a connection between the group is faith: In addition to monthly faith walks, volunteers pray before taking off on ride day and often pray along the road for families impacted by cancer. Not only does the ride raise money, but it forges decades of friendship.
A 525-mile bike ride requires intensive training and a weekly time commitment. While skilled cyclists lead the front of the pink pack, Ride 2 Rosemary welcomes new cyclists each year. Every Sunday, beginning in April and continuing until the ride in October, volunteers train together, rain or shine. Bringing together men of all ages, the preparation required of riders encourages healthy lifestyles.
“If we’re not healthier partners, husbands, fathers, employees and employers through this process, and the only thing you’ve done is become a better cyclist, then you’re really missing the idea of the ride,” says Bolton.
The energy of the Ride 2 Rosemary brotherhood is amplified by the support of their community along the ride. Before riders leave, individuals looking to donate can “Support Your Favorite Rider.” On the ride send-off in Memphis, crowds used to consist of families of riders, but now, the day has become a community event. After leaving Memphis, the ride makes stops in Tupelo in Mississippi and Tuscaloosa, Selma, and Andalusia in Alabama. When stopping at gas stations in their pink biker shorts, riders are often asked about their mission, in turn encouraging donations of up to $10,000. The group has been caught on drone footage and has created long-term friendships with locals along the route. Each year, for example, the riders stop in Tuscaloosa to visit Ms. Debbie, also known as the “Pie Lady.”
After what volunteer Gary Thompson describes lovingly as “525 miles of hanging around with smelly, stinky guys,” riders are reunited with their families on the cobblestone streets of Rosemary Beach, where they may vacation with their loved ones or make their way back home. For Thompson, this means seeing his daughter come home from college at send-off and spending time with family at Rosemary Beach, a tradition for his family. For others, that means riding behind the pack to watch each rider’s joy as they cross the finish line.
“I think in 16 years I haven’t had a dry eye,” says Bolton. “I would say my cup is really full when I roll down the beach.”
“We’ve been through a lot together,” says Bolton. “You name a topic, we’ve probably been through it together — from the death of a child, the death of a spouse, or financial issues, and we really do care for each other.”
