pt at large

Margaritaville: Where It's Always 5 o'clock

Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville
500 Duval Street
Key West, FL 33040
October 23, 2019

I doubt there’s anyone in America who hasn’t heard the song “Wastin’ Away in Margaritaville."  The real deal, Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, is the Queen Bee of Duval Street and a hive of activity from morn till night.  Ol’ Jimmy has parlayed that song into an empire.

Whether they arrived by car or plane or stepped off a humongous cruise ship, the place is humming with tourists. There’s probably not a local in the joint except for the staff.  

“It’s 5 o’clock somewhere,” to quote a line from one of Jimmy’s songs…translate, it’s time for a drink. You might not find your lost shaker of salt, but, as I can tell you from experience, you can toss down a first rate Margarita and a ridiculously fabulous burger from a menu that’s easy on the wallet.

2:13 PM, patrons from 28 to 78 are blissfully marinating on island time and the laid back sound trop rock, the kind of music that made Jimmy a millionaire. The only thing missing here at 500 Duval Street is sand and the smell of Coppertone.

Sooner or later, or maybe never, the patrons will find their way to the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservancy or the Harry S. Truman Little White House or the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum or the wondrous sites in Old Town Key West.

There are some hidden gems and seriously outlandish outposts among the scores of bars on this tiny island.  

Margaritaville is not Cheers, but everybody knows its name.

Hard to walk past 500 Duval Street without hankering for a margarita...

in Jimmy Buffett's place...

for an iconic drink rimmed with salt...

or a first rate cheeseburger...

with Jimmy or the house parrot looking over your shoulder...

and people from all walks of life...

enjoying the food...

and since this is the annual Fantasy Fest time, body paint artists just inside the door here and in stores up and down the street, are busy all day long

and a sense of humor reigns supreme...

Photos by Paul A. Tamburello, Jr.

Songs Of Our Native Daughters: Attuned to history

Songs of Our Native Daughters


Featuring Rhiannon Giddens,(banjo, fiddle, vocals), Amythyst Kiah (guitar, vocals), Leyla McCalla (banjo, cello, vocals), Allison Russell (banjo, clarinet, vocals)


Tonight: Jason Sypher (standup bass), Jamie Dick (drums), Francesco Turrisi (piano, accordion)
Anderson Hall
, 205 South Main Street, Wolfeboro, NH


July 27, 2019

Pride and pain. These daughters don’t let you forget for one minute the pride and pain of the female black experience. In the pride department, they make damn sure you realize that the banjo, that many think of as the quintessential American instrument, is a descendant of gourd fashioned into a string instrument used by Africans long before the painful ascent of slavery. And the fact that their female ancestors endured beatings, rape, separations from kin, and survived, endured, and passed their resilience along to their daughters. The CD of the same name is a statement album. So was this show tonight.

Their set at Anderson Hall was electrifying. The songs, largely from their album "Songs of our Native Daughters", mine historic sources and define the group’s mission to reclaim, actually rejoice in, the stories of their forebears. The four musicians collaborated to work on songs whose lyrics are often third rail subject matter they sourced from troves of archives.

Even the most jolting of them, "Mama’s Cryin’ Long", reinforces strength and resolve. I don’t know how they managed to stitch together such gut-wrenching material in a way that levitates rather than depresses. They’re aiming for an emotional kick to wake you up, to open your white mind/heart to history that matters to them and they want, no, need, you to know about it.

The singing tonight is democratically shared, sometimes solo, often accompanied by one or many others and always with emotional grit. Their personal chemistry, forged over 12 days of composing in a cabin outside Lafayette, LA, as they created their album, bubbles, floats, and penetrates the hall. Voices? Distinct, passionate, charged with the particles of interpretation of historic sources that resonate inside their individual souls. The instruments in their hands are extensions of their inner spirits. When Leyla McCalla switches to cello, (3 minute mark at Newport Folk Festival the day after this show, 7-28-19), it brings an odd but effective European mix to the sound.

The women haven’t chosen popular chestnuts to sing. They’ve delved into 17th, 18th, and 19th century sources. In the spirit of singer songwriters the world over, they’ve re-interpreted old songs or created new songs from the original sources, and filtered them through personal experience. Tonight they’ve given this 98% white audience way up in Wolfeboro, NH, a window into history from a lens rarely so completely focused on their point of view. If there's a note on the music scale between affirmative and righteous, these women are singing in that key all night long.

When they charge into the joyous finale, "Up Above My Head, I Hear Music In The Air," they loosen up in an explosion of dance with Allison Russell swaying in her own mighty cloud of joy.

Foot stomping, hand clapping, banjo plucking, all had the ring of a front porch in the rural south or before that of a clearing in sub-Saharan Africa.

Music is the most soulful way to unearth and honor our various ethnic histories. "Songs Of Our Native Daughters" is a gem in that tradition.

Bringing down the spirit...

Standing ovation...

"Polly Ann's Hammer"...you may have heard of her husband, John Henry. The group's joyful creative energy feels like its shot from a cannon primed with pride, pain, sorrow and commitment. They want the songs to make this mostly white audience not just tap our feet but to see though the window of history from which the lyrics were born. History has always been taught through music. These daughters make sure we get the point.

"Black Myself"

Grand Finale: "Up Above My Head, I Hear Music In The Air," popularized by legendary singer/guitar player Sister Rosetta Tharpe in 1947...gospel leaning toward early rock 'n roll, Rhiannon Giddens, Allison Russell, Leyla McCalla, and Amythyst Kiah are clearly the metaphorical daughters of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, whose story so clearly represents the strength and resolve of the women they are channeling tonight.

Up above our heads, I can feel the spirits of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Polly Ann Henry, and countless nameless heroines of the women on stage joining hands and shouting jubilant hallelujahs to their sisters on stage below.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jul/23/white-people-are-so-fragile-bless-em-rhiannon-giddens-banjo-warrior-cambridge-folk-festival

 

Photos, videos by Paul A. Tamburello, Jr.

25th Annual Ride for ALS: Part 3 Photos, Videos

25th Annual Fund Raising Bike Ride for ALS

Ride to Defeat ALS, September 22, 2019

The Longfellow Health Club,  524 Boston Post Rd, Wayland, MA 01778

"I Ride For Nanna"...

This pretty much summarizes the spirit of the day. Every one of the 305 riders carried the name of someone with ALS in their hearts or written on their bibs.Whether they rode the 70 mile ride (7 AM), the 50 mile ride (8:30 AM), the 25 mile ride (10 AM) or the 10 mile Family Ride (11 AM), they rode with purpose and the intent to end the scourge of ALS.  ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease, was identified in 1869. We have found cures for cancer. ALS...not yet.

An 'orphan disease' is defined as a condition that affects fewer than 200,000 people nationwide. Approximately 5000 men and women are diagnosed with ALS every year. In 2018, an estimated 1,735,350 new cases of cancer were diagnosed in the United States. It doesn’t take much math to see why ALS is considered an “orphan disease” and offers drug companies less incentive to fund research. Trust me, the researchers digging in to find a cure are as relentless as the disease in their work.

Despite the nature of this brutal disease that renders the body incapable of voluntary movement and eventually ability to speak, eat, move, and even breathe, the mood today was incongruously celebratory.

Out of the 365 days of the year, this was one day in which people dealing with ALS could smile, feel good, have a lighter heart precisely because of a manifest sense of togetherness and commonality of purpose, a tribe on the warpath to defeat ALS, here to raise money to find a cure and support the MA Chapter programs to care for their Nana’s, neighbors, fathers, mothers, colleagues...the list goes on.  The money raised today has a number. The spirits raised today is incalculable. The Ride to Defeat ALS puts the rubber on the road and galvanizes hope and action with this one day fund raiser.

Registration and Participant Center FAQs

Before, during, after...everything you need to know about the day's rides, plus fees and fund raising requirement FAQs here.

The 10 mile family ride assembles at 11 AM...

25th Anniversary Ride!

Mission accomplished for this day... researchers and care-givers resume their work tomorrow.

Carol Ranson, Myke Farricker, DJ Mr. Jonathan

Myke Farricker and a contingent of Rude Boys who rode in memory of  Pete "Wheels" Farricker

The 10 mile ride is sent on their way...

Team Hope...

Team Hope members in their blue shirts were all over the place today. So were AppleFriends4ALS, Team Roy, Dalpe's Victory Crusaders, Spirit Team, Wheels for Welchie, Mitch's Marauders, Johnny's Reply, Biogen Rolling Clones, and George's Team and a score more.

Special Events Coordinator and Myke Farricker (co-owner of The Longfellow Health Club) after sending off the 10 Mile ride

The Rude Boys raised $10,000 in honor of Pete "Wheels" Farricker, a member of the world champion Ultimate Frisbee Team

Ride founders Paul Tamburello and Myke Farricker with Special Events Coordinator Ashley Corbin

MA Chapter E.D. John Hedstrom, Special Events Coordinator Ashley Corbin

A hug from Dad...

Channel 5 Cindy Fitzgibbon, today's MC, opens the program

Food and beverages tent busy all day long

Motorcycles! A NEW 40 Mile motorcycle route that will leave from the Longfellow Health Club at 10:30 AM, and should take about 1 hour and 15 minutes to ride.

Revved up and ready to ride...a great new tradition to add horsepower to the anniversary ride...they'll be back again next year.

Photos by Paul A. Tamburello, Jr.

 

 

25th Anniversary Ride for ALS: Notes From A Founder

The great grandmother (and first) of all bike ride fund raising events in the country...maybe even the world, for the ALS cause!

September 22, 2019 - 25th Anniversary Ride To Defeat ALS - 305 riders, 48 teams, about a dozen motorcycle riders (yes motorcycles!)  raised over $270,000 (and still counting) for research and for support services provided by the MA Chapter ALS Association

Months of planning and organizing rolled out perfectly under a sunny cloudless blue sky …Ashley Corbin's program script knitted together everything that sets this event apart, the deep sense of commitment to finding a cure, the involvement of people who have a direct stake in finding it - patients, their families and caregivers - and volunteers who want to be part of such a one of a kind event. Positively healing, nurturing, community building and soul-settling just by being there.

The beginning of the story...The first "A Positive Spin for ALS," a solo ride from Plymouth Rock to Provincetown, MA, happened in 1995,  created by Paul Tamburello. It later merged into the participatory event "Ride to Defeat ALS" staged from The Longfellow Health Club in Wayland, MA. It has raised over 2 million dollars for the ALS cause since 1995. A pretty good number considering approximately 5000 cases a year are diagnosed compared to an estimated 1,735,350 new cases of cancer that were diagnosed in the United States in 2018.

ALS organizations have come a long way since 1995, are better equipped to support men and women diagnosed with ALS, closer to a cure but not there yet. Yesterday was a flawlessly organized milestone, the 25th Anniversary Ride for the ALS, descended from  A Positive Spin for ALS,  the first and longest running bike ride find raiser in the USA for the ALS cause. 

This anniversary year, we resumed the "Roll Call of Honorary Riders," a feature of the original A Positive Spin for ALS. Myke Farricker co-owner of The Longfellow Health Clubs (and one of the founders of the fund raising bike ride with which Paul Tamburello merged his Positive Spin for ALS0 and I read the names of the men and women for whom todays bikers raised money and rode one of the four routes . Somber, reflective, celebratory all at once, it is what a musician friend of mine refers to as "Calling down the spirits."

 

The Rude Boys contingent reminds us every year of the the legacy of Pete “Wheels”  Farricker, their friend and teammate whose character so indelibly impacted the sport of Ultimate Frisbee that the organization created the Farricker Spirit Award ("The Farricker Spirit Award is given to the player in the men's division of the USA Ultimate's National Championship Series adjudged to have exhibited personal responsibility, integrity, and fairness combined with a high standard of playing ability.") They've come from near and far. If one of them couldn't get here, they rode a route somewhere else in Pete's honor.

 

I’m grateful for my friendship with Myke Farricker that began years ago when we met at a personal growth seminar and restarted when the Longfellow Club hosted a fund raising ride for ALS.

 

I thank the stars that Ashley Corbin took over the ride in 2016. Myke recalled that the number of riders and contributions  rose significantly every year since she took over. Numbers aren’t everything. How about adding having an open heart, being approachable, a good listener, being a certifiable inside and out of the box thinker with a well of energy deeper than Poland Springs. That begins to explain Ashley Corbin.

 

Vignettes from the day: 

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Small world connection - Steve Kowalski. a recently diagnosed man who works for Apple. I told him that my school system, Brookline, MA, was an early adopter of computer technology, and that in around 1986, my school, The Pierce School, received a lab full of Apple IIe desktops. My job was to learn how to use them then teach my fourth graders how to use them. His response floored me.

 

“I was involved in the rollout of that computer,” he says, then says, “Do you know Jane Manzelli?” 

 

“Yes! She was a motivating force promoting computer technology, gave us in-service workshops, told us this was the wave of the future, and she was right. She also lived in Watertown a half mile away from me.”

 

“I worked with her to get those computers into your system!” Steve says.

 

When I give him my email address so he can send me a confirmation for my donation that Apple will match, he smiles when he sees my Apple email address. Amazing...You could have knocked me over with a feather.

 

Steve tells me that in order to be doubled, I need to write the check to him and he will send to Apple. “You won’t be able to claim your contribution as a deduction since you’re making it out for me but it will be doubled,” Steve says.

 

In honor of the 25th anniversary, I donated $100 for each year of the ride. Whatever deduction I might gain was dwarfed by the fact that Apple would match the funds employee Steve Kowalski made to this fund raiser.  Steve's team (AppleFriends4ALS) received the "Most Spirited Team Award."

 

This out of the blue connection was stunning, right out the theory of six degrees of separation.

 +++

Doug McIlvaine, recently diagnosed, was the bravest speaker today. He started shaky and like an engine pulling a heavy load, picked up speed. I watched in awe and admiration as he gained momentum and purpose telling us how he wanted to live his life after being diagnosed and finished by hammering home the theme of hope (his Team Hope was everywhere today). Today we matched Hope with action. The positive effect of his message was not lost on anyone today.

+++

Roland’s wife Sandy ( on the Honorary Rider list) died May 2, a little over 4 months ago. Their son Austin borrowed a bike to ride in last year's event. He got the cycling bug, bought his own bike and rode today. A very together young man, he said his dad was waffling about coming to the ride, that he encouraged him to come. Roland not only showed up but did the 25 mile ride. Good medicine for both of them. Austin tells me how he and his dad cared for Sandy, managed the feeding tube, daily suction of saliva from her mouth, and the support, equipment, and advice  from MA Chapter ALS Association. There was alot of love between father and son as sometimes their roles reversed. And hundreds of very brave people taking part in the Ride to Defeat ALS.

 +++

Larry Shaps, whose brother has ALS, tells me about the book “Chicken Soup For The Soul” by Joan London , The Caregiver Edition.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13259702-chicken-soup-for-the-soul

 

Larry talked at length and with gratitude for the support from MA Chapter ALS Association for equipment, resources to manage the disease,  and the comfort of human connections when they needed it.  Scores of people here today got love and support from the MA chapter. That and the inclusive community nature of the event are what drives them here.

 +++

Music...from morning right to the finale. Mr. Jonathan Is My DJ is a whiz at reading a crowd. The guy has a library in his laptop that could fuel a two week party. He picks music that's keeps the mood festive and upbeat in just the right balance.

 

“We’re singing this for Ash…” Devri an Irish/Country/ Western Swing band with energy to spare sings…”500 Miles,”released in 1988 by The Proclaimers, a Scottish band composed of identical twin brothers, Charlie and Craig Reid (born 5 March 1962, in Leith) “We de do it at a faster pace than the original” says Declan. leader of the band, after the song finished and boy oh boy they rock it with fierce foot stompin’ energy.

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Motorcycles

That was the coolest new wrinkle in the 25th ride. A bunch of motorcycle dudes and gals all decked out in their gear, they were an imposing sight at last year's ride. I asked  one of them what the connection was and learned a friend was riding for a motorcycle buddy diagnosed with ALS. Ashley Corbin connected with them. "Ride on your motorcyles!"  It makes so much sense. It invites this tight community to do something that gives the public a kinder and more gentle outlook on them as a group often stereotyped negatively.

 

+++

A contingent of Rude Boys (and Girls)

This group of former Ultimate Frisbee champions contributes $10,000 every year to the ride in Pete's name. They have become one of the signature teams and contributors of this ride. The way they bond as a community, attack the ride in their own in imitable style, is a testament to Pete’s charisma, sportsmanship, and spirit and it's effect on everyone who played with or against him in his career of playing Ultimate Frisbee...that would include these Rude Boys  who unfailingly bring the spirit with them every time they take to the road in Pete’s honor. How much of an impact did Pete have on the game? How about the USA Ultimate, The United States National Governing Body for the Sport of Ultimate creating a Spirit of the Game Award in 2002: Farricker Spirit Award is given to the player in the men's division of the USA Ultimate's National Championship Series adjudged to have exhibited personal responsibility, integrity, and fairness combined with a high standard of playing ability.

+++

More Pete

One more thing from the website link above: About Peter Farricker

Peter "Wheels" Farricker was a person of spirit — teammate, friend, brother, son, husband and father. He was swift, clever, funny, smart, kind, and he attracted people with an ease and calmness many admired. Fair on the field, he was strong in skill, superior outside the lines. He was champion in many ways. Taken seriously without being overly serious, loved by many, he was and is for many of us a model of what we hope we can be.

 ++++

The Domino effect

Pete would  appreciate that that there were dozens of riders and men and women on Sunday who, like  him,  exemplified spirit and courage. It was inspiring...the beauty of it is that it rubbed off on anyone who witnessed it.

Photo courtesy of Jarvis Chen

Paul A.Tamburello, Jr.

25th Annual Ride for ALS: Routes, Details

2019 Route Descriptions

70 Mile Route  - 6:00 am Check in- 7:00 am Start
50 Mile Route  - 7:30 am Check in- 8:30 am Start
25 Mile Route  - 9:00 am Check in- 10:00 am Start
10 Mile Route   -10:00am Check in- 11:00 am Start

All rides will start and finish at the premier racquet and fitness facility, The Longfellow Club, and ride through the scenic suburbs of Boston.

The 70-Mile Ride | 7:00 AM Start

Riders will journey through “The Crossroads of New England”.  These riders will be riding a combination of the 50 and 25 mile route and get a tour of the scenic Metro-West region.

Riders on the route are fully-supported by the Safety Team, SAG Team, and rest stops strategically located throughout the routes.

The 50-Mile Ride | 8:30 AM Start

Riders will start their ride through the peaceful open spaces of Wayland and ride through the charming Village of Sudbury.  Riders will be thrilled to arrive in the “outdoor lovers’ paradise” of Hudson with its’ scenic New England charm.  As they continue to cycle, riders will be treated to the picturesque community of Bolton and then onto the beautiful sights of the small community of Stow which boasts several apple orchards.  After breezing through the forests of Acton, the riders will then embark upon the “natural world of beauty” in Concord and finish back at the Longfellow Club in Wayland.

Riders on the route are fully-supported by the Safety Team, SAG Team, and rest stops located every 4-10 miles.

The 25-Mile Ride | 10:00 AM Start

Riders will start their ride through the semi-rural setting of Wayland and ride through the open spaces of forests, marshes and fields which surround the river.  They will then go through Sudbury’s charming village taking in the picturesque atmosphere of wildlife and conservation land.  Riders will have a quick spin through Concord’s natural world of beauty and then back through Sudbury and to the finish at the Longfellow Club.

Riders on the route are fully-supported by the Safety Team, SAG Team, and rest stops located every 4-10 miles.

The 10 Mile Family Ride | 11:00 AM Start

Riders will start their ride through the semi-rural setting of Wayland and ride the peaceful open spaces to Sudbury.  Here they will enjoy the beauty of this charming historic mill village and serene neighborhoods.  The ride will bring them back to the Longfellow Club

Riders on the route are fully-supported by the Safety Team and SAG Team.

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Before the Ride

Safety Training
The strength and endurance required to complete a ride will vary depending on your fitness level.  To train, start with a length of time that you are comfortable with, then work your way up gradually to just below the miles you have committed.  Consider cross-training in your training plan to decrease injury while building muscular strength and cardiovascular fitness.

Experimenting with cycling gear, nutrition and hydration is an essential part of training.  Use trial and error to figure out how your body reacts to specific gear, fluids and snacks during exercise. Always, listen to your body. Drink when you are thirsty. Eat when you are hungry. Stop and rest when you are tired. Make sure you have adequate sleep. Eat small amounts of carbohydrates every hour during exercise to maintain your blood sugar and provide your muscles with a source of fuel.  Alternate between water and sports drink. This combination of beverages will help replace the nutrients your body is using and may prevent dehydration or mineral imbalances that are common during endurance activities. 

Fundraising
We have many online tools to help you get to your goal! Click here to access the 2018 Rider Packet or e-mail ashley.corbin@als-ma.org to learn more!

Chapter Communications
Make sure to check your email and our Facebook page to stay up to date on the latest news!

During the Ride

Check-In
You’ll need to stop by the check-in area to pick it your registration packet the morning of the event. Your packet includes a goodie bag with cool stuff from sponsors, a Ride t-shirt, rider number bib. You must meet the $250 fundraising minimum before you can Ride. You must check back in with the registration volunteers to let us know you have returned to the Longfellow Club safely. 

Jersey Orders
If you've raised $500 by the morning of the event, you can order your jersey at the Jersey Order table. If you're not sure what size to order, please try on one of the samples. (If you have not raised the $500, you will have 4 weeks after the event to meet the minimum. We will contact you about your size.)

Day-of Registration
If you are registering on event day, you will be required to pay the registration fee, $75, and the $250 fundraising minimum.

Meals
Each rest stop will be stocked with goodies to keep you going! Lunch will be served, starting at 12 PM, until the last rider gets back to the Longfellow Club.

Route Markings & Maps
The routes will be marked in a color corresponding to the distance you are riding. It will be posted on this site and also reviewed before each wave of riders departs. Maps (aka cue sheets) will be available for download through the Participant Center and will also be at the maps table next to check-in and at the start line.

Safety Team
We will have a SAG vehicle prepared to pick you up along the route, should you have any bike maintenance or medical issues. We will have medical personnel and bike maintenance volunteers at the Longfellow Club in case you need immediate medical attention or need simple bike maintance. Please make sure you pick up the cue sheet at the registration table with the cell phone number to call in case of emergencies. 

Rest Stops
Rest stops are located every 4-10 miles. The route maps will show the distance to each rest stop. Each rest stop will have water, gatorade, and snacks to keep you hydrated and fueled to continue on your ride. 

Finish Line
Once you cross the finish line, there will be plenty of food, music, and activities for the family. 

25th Annual Ride for ALS: Part 1

2019 RIDE PROGRAM

Sunday, September 22, 2019
Longfellow Tennis and Health Club
Wayland, MA

The great grandmother (and first) of all bike ride fund raising events in the country...maybe even the world, for the ALS cause!

12:15 PM –
John Hedstrom, MA Chapter ALS Association E.D.:

"Welcome to the 2019 Ride to Defeat ALS – and it’s the 25th anniversary of the ride! It’s great to see so many people gathered here today to raise awareness, for ALS, and to raise funds to support our cutting-edge research, vital patient care services and critical advocacy work at both the state and federal levels."

John introduces Cindy Fitzgibbon

"Back for her 3rd year as our Emcee is Cindy Fitzgibbon of NewsCenter 5's EyeOpener and Midday Meteorologist. Fitzgibbon is active in the Natick community where she lives with her husband and two boys.
It is my pleasure to introduce Cindy Fitzgibbon, Channel 5 Meteorologist, who will serve as our MC today."

Cindy Fitzgibbon:

"We’re not only here to show our support for those with ALS and their families, but we’re also here to raise essential funds that help the ALS Association provide support and services right here in the Massachusetts. Your fundraising dollars support things like home visits for newly diagnosed patients, support groups, insurance and benefits counseling, medical equipment loaners and funding the Curt and Shonda Shilling Certified Treatment Center of Excellence in Burlington."

"Last year, we introduced a new program called our Quality of Life Grants program. Grants of $500 per patient are awarded for items such as generators, DME Repairs, personal emergency response systems, hospital beds and transportation. With this program, we have been able to assist more than 40 families, to offset some of the extreme cost of care. We have seen the importance of giving support to children who have a loved one affected by ALS with our involvement for the past 4 years with the Hope Loves Company camp. To continue the outreach of support for kids, we have added a Y Cares Program to our fall symposium which will provide them with education about ALS. Our Technology Integration Specialist, Elisabeth Dolloff has increased the technology and communication program for the chapter exponentially. We have more communication devices and equipment than ever, and she has worked diligently this past year to help set up a program to provide specialized equipment and resources for those with ALS to be able to do voice banking, which allows them to have their own voice linked to technology."

"These are real-life services which help our neighbors, friends, and family and they would not be possible without your help. Thank you to all of you who raised funds for today’s Ride!"

"We would now like to take a moment to personally recognize today’s top fundraisers and top teams. A huge thank you to each and every one of you for your dedication and extraordinary efforts to help us further our mission!"

Special Events Coordinator Ashley Corbin presents awards as Cindy reads the names.

"Top Fundraiser: Geoff Marchant

If the team captain for the following teams could come forward and collect the prizes for your team:

Top Fundraising Team: Team Hope
Rookie Team of the Year: Team Hope OR Johnny’s Reply TBD
Most Spirted Team: AppleFriends4ALS

Congratulations! Give yourself a much-deserved round of applause!"

"The Massachusetts Chapter staff is made up of a group of dedicated people who worked tirelessly, and show tremendous commitment to the advancement of the mission of The ALS Association."

"Let’s meet the staff. Please wave when I introduce you:
John Hedstrom, Executive Director
David Bodah, Deputy Executive Director
Ashley Vellante, Special Events Manager
Loretta Lane, Communications and Advocacy Manager
Shannon Sullivan, Care Services Manager
Eileen Garry, Care Services Coordinator
John Adebayo, Care Services Coordinator
Elisabeth Dolloff- Speech and Language Pathologist and AAC Specialist
Heidi Henderson, Finance Manager

And last but not least…the person responsible for organizing this spectacular event -

Ashley Corbin, Special Events Manager"

"We are grateful to the many businesses that have supported our ride this year by becoming a corporate sponsor."

"A huge thank you to our 2019 Corporate Sponsors Victory HVAC, Village Bank, AASP-MA, Environmental Chemical, The Longfellow Health Club and Franks Spoke N Wheel. Our Ride Route Sponsors and Partners: Zarb Corporation, Accurate Graphics, High5Em, Castle Island Brewery, Mobility Works, Assabet River Bicycles, Atkinson Pool, Cultivate Care Farm, and Lincoln Sudbury High School."

"Special thanks to our lunch sponsors: Blue Ribbon BBQ, Jose’s Mexican Restaurant, and Crosby Marketplace.

We would also like to thank our in-kind sponsors for their generous donations to the event.

A couple of housekeeping reminders, - be sure to stop by the Tribute Wall to add a note or photo to share why you rode today. Also, if you haven’t already done so, make you sure you get a Ride Team picture with our excellent professional photographer, Jarvis Chen. Jarvis give a wave so people know who you are!"

Cindy introduces Patient Speaker Doug McIlavaine

"Our next speaker is here with his new ride team, Team Hope, who have been a huge part of the ride this year. He was diagnosed with ALS earlier this year and is here today to share his story with you. Please join me in welcoming Doug McIlavaine."

Doug shares his story. (5 minutes)
Back to Cindy

"Thank you Doug for your courage and sharing your story with us."

"A special recognition today is to a couple of important people, who without them, there would not be a Ride to Defeat ALS. Paul Tamburello started the ride 25 years ago, and  teamed up with Myke Farricker in 2002. Their original “Positive Spin for ALS” was the first bikeathon in the country dedicated to raising money for research and services for those with ALS. Myke graciously hosts us every year here at the Longfellow Health Club and goes above and beyond to support the event. We would like to invite both of them up here, and Paul is going to share some important history of the Ride."

Paul Tamburello speaks:
"Welcome to the great grandmother of all ALS Fund Raising Bike Rides…!
Every one of us here today has someone riding on our shoulders. 

They’re our Honorary Riders, with us in spirit or in person."

"A little history: In my appeal letters before my solo rides from Plymouth Rock to Provincetown, I included an insert with a return envelope that said, “I will place the names of all contributors in my bike bag when I wheel to Provincetown. Whether you wish to contribute or not, if you know the names of any ALS patients, past or present, whom you want to “ride” with me, please send their names to me. I will be honored with their company.”

Every name got packed into my bike bag on the handlebars. To commemorate and to celebrate the spirit of the Honorary Riders, Myke Farricker, Susan Lyman of Provincetown, and I stood on the jetty at the end of Route 6A to read the names of those men and women in what we called a “Roll Call of Honorary Riders.”

Names matter.

We’re about to reintroduce that powerful tradition today. In the words of a musician friend, “We’re calling down the spirit.”

Before we begin, I have to tell you one story. Scrawled on the insert returned to me before the 1999 Positive Spin for ALS was this note…”Bring Sally for the ride, she’d love it. Smoking Section, though. TEE HEE” in caps.

I called the sender and told him that until this year my bike bag had been a “Smoke Free” zone, but after receiving his letter, I opened a Smoking Section and sat his mom, “Smokin’ Sally,” smack in the middle of it. We both laughed at the image. I’m sure everyone in this crowd knows living with ALS doesn’t mean living without laughter.  Honorary riders, get ready!"

Myke Farricker (co-owner of The Longfellow Club) and Paul read the names. See list below...We thank each of you riders for being here today, and for riding in honor of your loved ones.

Back to Cindy

"We now have a few special awards we would like to present to some teams who have been an extensive part of our Ride.
Could we have a team captain from each of the following teams: Inker’s/Cathy’s Team, Spirit Team, George’s Team and Team Roy. You are being recognized today for your annual participation in the ride for 10 plus years!
Could we also have a team captain from each of the following teams: Boston Aussie’s, Dave Z’s Antiques, Hudson Outbacks, Team BuLL, Team Beson, Mitch’s Marauders, Shelley’s Heroes and Team Mrs. B – all of you have been part of the ride for 5 plus years. Let’s give a huge round of applause to these teams for their amazing dedication!

Now let’s celebrate all that has been accomplished here today and for the past 25 years – enjoy your lunch and stick around for the band!"

Note: DJ Mr. Jonathan was busy spinning upbeat music all morning long as teams assembled, rode, and returned to The Longfellow Club in Wayland. The band Devri treated the crowd to more upbeat music when the speaking program ended. Lots of positive energy all day long.

HONORARY RIDERS