ALS Fact - There is no single test that can definitely diagnose ALS. A doctor will conduct a physical exam and review the person’s full medical history. A neurologic examination will test reflexes, muscle strength, and other responses. These tests should be performed at regular intervals to assess whether symptoms are getting worse over time.
After a wonderful meal at Ellen’s house on Tuesday night, we all headed back to the Microtel for our final night on the road. We woke up the next morning and slowly, riders and LG’s made their way down to the lobby for some pretty lousy hotel coffee and breakfast. Final details for the rest stops were discussed and Doug went to pick up Ellen so she could be with us for the start of day 3. She loaded him up with the left overs from the night before and these alone could feed a small army! On the last ride, she was dubbed Director of Marketing and Promotion. This year, a new title was added as she is a passionate overachiever - Director of Hospitality on the Road!
As the riders were slowly getting their bikes and gear ready for the final leg, we greeted Matt Sullivan and Linda Carpino who would also be joining us for the 55+ miles from York to Boxford ( and eventually Topsfield to the McIlvaine’s home). Claudia and Susan had arrived the night before. We would be a pack of 19 riders as we were missing Charlie due to his positive Covid test. While gathering outside, the fire alarms went off in the hotel. Very few of the other guests seemed concerned as only a handful made it outside into the parking lot, but we kind of took this as our cue to get on the road as the fire trucks began to arrive. We were wheels up around 8:48am setting out on a beautiful sunny day on one of my favorite routes.
We quickly made our way off route 1 and headed over to the rolling hills of 103 south, into Kittery and over the bridge into Portsmouth. Kevin, Kimberly and I had a bet as to how many times we would see their parents, Bill and Sharon as they seemed to be everywhere cheering us on and providing wonderful snacks at the rest stops. Our first waterstop was at Prescott Park and true to form, the LG crew had a wonderful setup waiting for us. We knew the temperature was predicted to climb so we tried to shorten our stops as much as possible. After quick stops to the rest rooms, some hydration and fuel, we were back on the road heading to beautiful New Castle, Rye and onto our 2nd stop of the day The Beach Plum, a tried and true stop over the years with delicious ice cream treats, refreshing Arnold Palmer drinks and of course chips to replenish salt.
With approximately 30+ miles to go, I had a sense that some of the riders were beginning to feel the miles but their grit and determination never waned. We carefully navigated the beach traffic through North Hampton and Hampton and were grateful to get onto the Great Marsh Trail in Salisbury and away from the motorcycles, loud trucks and frenetic pace of these busy beach towns. Up and over the bridge into Newburyport and a quick right turn led us to our final stop at Pop Crowley Park. Again, the anticipation of finishing shortened our rest time knowing that the end was just a short 15 miles away. We were happy to be on the mostly shady country roads of Byfield, Georgetown, Rowley, and Boxford. Boxford!!!! The celebration however couldn’t begin until we made it to the McIlvaine home in Topsfield, just a few more miles down MA State Route 97. As this is a bit of a busy road, we were able to secure a fire escort with Topsfield Chief extraordinaire, Jen Collins Brown in the front and Topsfield’s hook and ladder in the back. We were able to ride 2-3 across as we had the entire lane. Ben Nutter, in true Ben Nutter fashion, waved to every car that stopped to let us by. My bet is that he probably knew 95% of the drivers by their first name. (He may want to consider running for mayor of Topsfield if we ever change our town governmental structure!) As we approached our home, the sirens began to sound and our street was lined with family and friends cheering us on. It did bring goosebumps and a few tears to many. My dear friend and Steve’s partner, Mary Adamik, my sister in-law Meg Moran and Kevin’s wife, Kimberly Gray were in charge of the homecoming celebration and they did not disappoint. There were signs, banners, balloons, noise makers, and an overwhelming amount of food and delicious Richardson’s ice cream that Ben was instrumental in getting donated. It was an amazing celebration and a time to share stories and a sense of pride and gratitude. We were grateful to have the support and attendance of three special guests, Jen DiMartino and Ashley Corbin from ALS One and Erin Lajeunesse from CCALS. These amazing women are warriors in the fight against ALS. Thank you!!!
In keeping with the tradition of the last Oxford to Boxford ride, we had an awards ceremony. Each recipient was given a “walk up” song like they do at MLB parks. The song was specifically chosen for either a specific event that occurred over the 3 day journey or a unique attribute that became evident. Although you may not be able to truly understand the origin of each song, I wanted to share the list of the Walk Up songs here. Maybe you can use your imagination and guess as to why these songs were chosen.
ALS Ride for Hope Walk Up Songs
This Girl is On Fire - Kimberly Donohue
You can Go your Own Way - Louise “Weezie” Fox
No Surrender - Ben Nutter
Where you Lead - Tiernan Foster
Eye of the Tiger - George Hall
Every Breath You Take (I’ll be watching you…) - Bill and Sharon Gray
Lean on Me - Kevin Gray and Bruce McIlvaine
The Banana Song - Barb Thomas
Wild Thing - Al Miller (If you know Al, ask to see his moves. It’s classic!)
Respect - Anne Miller
Easy - Maryanne Foster
He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother - Scott Golan, Jim Jorling, Jim Venezia, Dave Foster
Count on Me - Mary Adamik
Mustang Sallie - Linda Carpino and Margaret McCarthy
Fire on the Mountain - Charlie McIlvaine
Thank you for Being a Friend - Matt Sullivan
With a Little Help from my Friends - Susan Warner, Claudia Worth, Meg Moran
I Believe by Adam Ezra - Steve Lopez
I’m Still Standing - Doug McIlvaine
Stand By Me - Shannon deForest
I believe it is fair to say, everyone was exhausted but we were happy to have shared an experience with amazing memories that will last a lifetime. We certainly felt like we achieved all 4 of our goals: Increasing awareness of ALS; raising funds for ALS; creating a supportive community; and to have fun!
Thank you to all who have donated to our ride. We have currently surpassed $42,000 and know more will be coming in! Donations can be made by visiting our website at - https://www.classy.org/campaign/oxford-to-boxford-2-0/c674460
Talk has already begun about where and when our next ride will be. Stay tuned… Working to find a cure for ALS - one ride at a time.
With much gratitude to everyone who participated,
Dolly, Doug, Steve and Dave