Matthew Cook

Riding in memory of Liam

Cancer is the biggest killer of kids from disease in the USA, 38 children die every week. Please donate now and support my challenge to fight kids' cancer!

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I've Ridden 0.0 mi My goal is 400 mi

My Rankings

National: 769th
State: 9th in CT

I've raised $36 My goal is $2,500 Donate Now

I'm Riding For

Liam

We're riding for Liam, an 8 year old boy who has been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL, at age five. Liam’s cancer could not have been prevented, but researchers are working, even with limited funding, to find better treatments for him – treatments that don’t include intense physical and emotional side effects. Liam started chemotherapy, which started the process of losing his full head of thick brown hair. He’s had to take oral medications, which look and taste disgusting. One of his medications, a steroid that helps him recover from harsh chemo treatments, makes him feel angry, frustrated or sad much more quickly than normal. For Liam, typical milestones are tainted by the difficulties of cancer – he was afraid of being laughed at during his preschool graduation because he had to wear a mask to keep germs away. Going to the zoo is fun, until he’s too exhausted to enjoy it anymore. Luckily, he’s found a few ways to be a kid through it all. Liam is a huge Star Wars fan, and he sometimes brings his lightsaber with him to fight off things like worry before appointments or before taking medicine. So the Cycling Cooks – Matt, Melissa, Landon, and Bryce – are getting on our speeder bikes (nothing fancy, just three Trek hybrid commuter bikes including one with a child seat on it) this September, and we're riding 325 miles each for Liam! That's 1300 miles. We won't reach California but it would be the distance from Hartford to Oklahoma City and its half way across the country if you lined it all up end to end! We're giving it our ALL!

My Story

5 Sep 2022

This September, I am taking part in the Great Cycle Challenge to fight kids' cancer! It also means my family - wife Melissa, 10 year old son Landon, and 3 year old son Bryce - are coming along too! We're riding for Liam, an 8 yr old boy diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL. He's a huge Star Wars fan, so we're going to get on our speeder bikes - which don't go very fast. They're just 3 Trek hybrid commuter bikes and one has a child seat on it for my co-pilot Bryce. And we're going to ride, some 325 miles each along the Farmington Valley Heritage Trail and the Farmington Valley River Trail and a few other trails in Connecticut and Massachusetts in just one month.

As a family, we will ride 1300 miles! The distance from Hartford, CT to Oklahoma City, OK. We won't reach California but that's enough miles to pedal half way across the country if you add our miles up end to end. We're raising money and awareness for the children’s cancer research to help find a cure for things like ALL and other childhood cancers. This is our third yr! Over the past 2 yrs, we have raised over $10,250 for the Children's Cancer Research Fund. We're going to give it our ALL for one whole month. That’s the least we could do. Every day when there is no hockey or family activities, we'll be out riding. Some days a lot. Some days a little.

Why? Because right now, cancer is the biggest killer of kids from disease in the United States. Over 15,700 children are diagnosed every year, and sadly, 38 children die of cancer every week.

Kids, like Liam, should be living life, not fighting for it.

So I am raising funds through my challenge to help these kids and support Children's Cancer Research Fund to allow them to continue their work to develop lifesaving treatments and find a cure.

Please support me by making a donation to give these kids the brighter futures they deserve.

Your support will change little lives. Lives like Liam's.

Thank you.

Matt