DANVERS — Sunday's second annual Reason to Ride bike-a-thon was "a marvelous success," according to founder Tom DesFosses of Peabody.
And marvelous success might be an understatement. The event, which raises funds for cancer research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, has raised more than $40,000 so far, with donations still arriving — more than twice as much as last year.
DesFosses, 67, a cancer survivor and patient, used to bike solo to raise money for cancer research, but he decided that a bike-a-thon would make a bigger impact.
This year's ride also doubled the number of participants, with roughly 200 people riding either the 10-, 25- or 50-mile routes.
The ride is a grass-roots effort, run mainly by DesFosses, his wife, Judy, and their friend Bob Barry, but it took the efforts of hundreds to make it all work.
"We have marvelous, marvelous vendors," DesFosses said.
Fuddruckers, a hamburger chain, was a major contributor to the success of the event, and the company has volunteered for the event "indefinitely."
Participants in this year's ride included DesFosses' neuro-oncologist, Dr. Eric Wong.
"It's impossible to thank everybody," DesFosses said, "But it's a great group and a great reason to ride."
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