Just before moving to the New Haven area in 2013, Rich Cohen bought a road bike.
His wife, who was starting a job at Yale-New Haven Hospital, suggested he sign up for the Closer to Free Ride that raises money for patient care and critical research at the Smilow Cancer Hospital.
“While I haven’t personally had the disease, it’s something that affects so many families across the world,” Cohen told NBC Connecticut. “On ride day, I ride in memory of my grandparents. I’ve had three grandparents pass away from cancer, mostly lung but one prostate so it has affected my family.”
Cohen never met his paternal grandmother who passed away at 46-year-old. His paternal grandfather battled cancer several times before his death in 2011. And he was only 18-months-old when he lost his maternal grandfather in the last 1980s.
“The last time I rode I felt a little burn on the way back from Guilford and some of those rolling hills on the shoreline,” Cohen said of his September 2016 ride. “That’s where you start thinking this isn’t as bad as what it takes to go through some of the treatment, and what my grandfather had described some of the radiation burns.”
For his fourth ride, Cohen has joined a new team called Chain RxAction with some of his wife’s co-workers from the YNHH Pharmacy Department.
“Mostly newer riders,” he said. “Right now we have about 8 people in the group.”
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Cohen said he hopes by riding and raising money he can help save lives and make the world closer to cancer free.
“Hopefully going forward people can get through and recover from cancer,” he said.
There is still time to sign up for the eighth annual Closer to Free Ride on Saturday September 8. So far, more than 1,200 people have registered to ride.
