Hundreds of cyclists and walkers were on the move Sunday to support the Cancer Care Fund of Litchfield Hills at the 11th annual Tour of Litchfield Hills bike ride and walk.
The noncompetitive event has raised almost $900,000 to help defray the costs associated with cancer treatment for patients in northwestern CT. And for many riders who participated, that's a very personal cause.
"This is actually my third year doing the ride," Fran Prentice, of Bristol, said Sunday. "Today I'm riding for my dad who passed from cancer two years ago, and for a good friend of mine who was recently informed that her cancer came back."
Race Director Matt Pagano said that the bike ride also has a personal meaning for him.
"Ironically two years into doing this my daughter got diagnosed with leukemia," Pagano said. "So it started out as a cycling thing for me and then it became something very personal."
Bikers had a choice of riding 12 to 100 miles and people also participated in 2-, 4- and 6-mile walks.
The ride started at Coe Memorial Park in Torrington and will ended Sunday afternoon.
