“When Russell passed, I was pretty much in a fog, but knew I needed to do something to honor him and channel my grief,” says Pat. “I kept looking at our old mountain bike in our garage and decided that was it! I would do the PMC in his memory. I finally broke down and bought a new road bike.”
When Pat explained to her family that she would ride for the first time in the PMC this year in memory of Russell, her four grandchildren announced that they would like to do the same. Knowing that you have to be a certain age to cycle in the adult ride, Pat decided to start a PMC Kids Ride in town, providing her grandchildren with an outlet to honor “Grampy” through their own mini bike-a-thon.
On Saturday, Sept. 13, the Morris family will host the inaugural Cape Ann PMC Kids Ride in Russell’s memory. More than 40 children, ages 2 to 15, are expected to participate, including three of Pat and Russell’s grandchildren, Alexis, 13, Samantha, 11, and Braeden, 6, who will ride under the umbrella Team Scrawney-Morgan, named for the team their grandmother rode with as part of the adult PMC. Their fourth grandchild, Jordan, 18, has assisted with planning and fundraising for the event but will not be on site as she will be starting her freshman year of college, adding to her scholarships by submitting a poem she wrote about her Grampy’s passing.
Young cyclists will be able to ride one of three routes of varying mileage around O’Malley Middle School in Gloucester. There will be a party after the ride which will include fact painting, a kids raffle and many more fun family-oriented activities. The ride hopes to raise $5,000.
“The PMC and PMC Kids Rides Program, have given my family an outlet to keep Russell’s memory alive and fresh in the hearts and minds of our friends and family members,” says Pat. “The kids are so excited to have an opportunity to ride and raise money as a tribute to Grampy and to help make a difference for cancer patients like him. Hopefully it also gives other kids who have had similar experiences an opportunity to be part of a great cause.”
The inaugural Cape Ann PMC Kids Ride was started by the Morris family to honor their late Grampy, who is pictured fishing in Gloucester, Mass. In 2013, Russell lost his life to lung cancer, leaving behind his wife, son, daughter, and four grandchildren.