Community Corner
Bethlehem Man Will Bicycle 500 Miles for Cancer
Ryan Hulvat is still motivated by his mother's death, 15 years ago.
Cancer comes in many forms. At the very least it can leave a loved one devastated from chemotherapy. Cancer’s ability to take life is known by almost everyone.
There is no known cure for cancer, and currently there isn’t one in sight.
That’s not stopping one Bethlehem PA man. Local photographer Ryan Hulvat is determined to find a cure.
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During the hottest days of August, Hulvat will join 72 other bicyclists on a 500-mile ride from Elkins, W. Va., to Palmerton.
The ride is called the Pennsylvania Perimeter Ride Against Cancer.
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Named after the first ride in 1983 when founder Bob Freed, an Allentown schoolteacher, and 21 other riders travelled the perimeter of Pennsylvania (1000 miles,) in hopes of raising money to find a cure.
Each rider is required to raise at least $1000 in sponsorship, and expected to ride at least 80 to 100 miles a day.
In turn the PPRAC donates 100 percent of the money raised to two charities.
• The American Cancer Society
• Dream Come True (support for seriously ill children.)
Since it’s inception in 1983 the PPRAC has raised over one million dollars.
In February 1997, Hulvat lost his mother to cancer only months before the birth of his oldest daughter. “That really means a lot to me," he said. "I don’t want my children to go through that. I want to know my grandkids.”
Though he remains motivated by his mother's death, he said: “I couldn’t do it without help. If I didn’t have my wife (Dawn) giving me support, or the countless volunteers and organizations along the ride, I don’t think the ride would be possible for me.”
Everyone who participates in the ride has a story about how cancer has affected their life. Those stories are what compel them to sleep on hardwood floors in high school gyms and VFWs.
“Every day you’re so focused on just getting done, and every day there’s a group of people helping you, because this ride is just as important to them as it is to me,” said Hulvat.
The PPRAC is still accepting donations. To do so, visit their website, click the donate button, and pick a rider to support.
