After cycling hundreds of miles and raising thousands of dollars for cancer research, four -time PMC cyclist Chris Nikolis is inspiring a new generation to follow in his tracks. On Saturday, May 11, he will host the second annual PMC Suffield Kids Ride at McAlister Intermediate School, in Suffield, CT.
Nikolis was motivated to participate in the PMC by the memory of his grandfather who passed away from lung cancer when he was just 12 years old. Now, a father of three, he has taken on the role of PMC Kids Ride co-coordinator with his wife, Denise, for a second year. Their goal is to provide an outlet for kids to get involved with fundraising for the PMC, which benefits adult and pediatric patient care and cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Maggie and Ariana, Nikolis’ six-year-old twins, along with his son, James, 4, are three of 150 children expected to participate in this year’s event. The Nikolis family has had friends and family affected by cancer and the children understand they will be contributing to a cause that is close to their parent’s hearts. Last year, the PMC Suffield Kids Ride attracted 83 cyclists and raised $11,400 for the PMC. This year, Nikolis hopes to raise $20,000 through this event for the PMC.
Nikolis is a four-time PMC veteran who has participated in the two-day,190-mile PMC route from Sturbridge to Provincetown and has raised more than $35,400. Last year, as a warm-up, he rode from the New York border to Sturbridge, adding additional miles to the regular route. He is proud to share this experience with his children as the family puts on the only PMC Kids Ride in Connecticut.
The PMC Suffield Kids Ride will be one of 38 PMC Kids Rides to take place this spring, summer and fall throughout New England and beyond. In 2012, the PMC Kids Rides program attracted nearly 4,500 cyclists between the ages of 2 and 15, who rode between one and 26 miles in mini-bike-a-thons to raise money for cancer care and research. Collectively, the PMC Kids Rides 2013 have set the goal of raining nearly $900,000.
Interested in starting a PMC Kids Ride in your area? Contact Sarah Mercurio Hall, Director of PMC Kids Rides & Volunteer Coordinator: sarah@pmc.org or 800-WE-CYCLE.
From left to right: Ariana Nikolis, Chris Nikolis, James Nikolis and Maggie Nikolis
Blog post courtesy of Teak Media
