Pat’s Pedaling Pack set to raise $1M in memory of Beverly teen
This is the time of year that Tom and Dee McNamara ride an emotional roller coaster.
The eighth running of the Pat’s Pedaling Pack 100K ride from Beverly to Michigan City, Indiana, takes place Friday and that brings the couple some happiness, knowing money from the ride goes to pediatric brain tumor research and to help families of children with brain tumors.
It also brings back memories of their son, Patrick, who died in 2011 of a brain tumor at age 13 after more than 15 surgeries and several rounds of chemotherapy.
“It’s always kind of difficult and emotional,” Tom said. “Overall, it’s really gratifying and inspiring the way everyone comes together to help other kids who are like my son was.
“It’s a joyous event, for sure. But we think about him — I’m getting emotional right now. But we think about him and keep him in mind a lot more when this event comes up.”
Excuse the McNamaras this year for, at times, feeling like a million bucks.
Money raised from this event over the years will surpass the $1 million mark in 2022.
Pat’s Pedaling Pack is a part of the Pat Mac’s Pack charity, which has donated an additional $1 million from other fundraising efforts to Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago. And in appreciation for the donations and work, the hospital named an elevator at the facility in the organization’s honor.
While all of that is special, one of the biggest kicks Tom gets out of all this is face-to-face meetings with families who will benefit from the money raised.
“We have seen the fruits of those donations and stay in touch with families,” he said. “We see the good we’re doing. People are very thankful, obviously.
“Some of those families will be there for the start of the ride. We call them our Leaders of the Pack and riders meet them and highfive them. The kids get a huge kick out of that. They are our ambassadors. That’s a really cool part of the event.”
As of Tuesday, close to 230 people signed up for the ride. It’s the first time in the history of the event it drew more than 200.
McNamara said usually the last few days prior to the ride get more riders to participate, so this could be a monster year.
For more information on how to sign up is at patmacspack.org.
The ride starts at 5:50 a.m. at St. Barnabas in Chicago and ends at Notre Dame Parish in Michigan City, where there will be food and entertainment. Buses will be available to bring riders back to St. Barnabas later in the day.
The initial ride started with a few cyclists brainstorming ways to make money for a good cause. In 2014, the event was underway with 44 riders.
Some of the mainstay participants over the years include cross country rider Willie Winters, former “SpongeBob SquarePants” writer and story editor Peter Burns, founding member of the ride Pat Grant and Beverly Bike and Ski owner Paul Weise.
Volunteer Sean Flood is another huge key to preparation for the event.
Flood, whose son Liam was a classmate of Patrick, gets a group of riders together at 4:55 a.m. for a 15-mile ride through Beverly each weekday to help prepare the riders for the 100K.
“Everyone works, so we have it early and we are all home by 6,” he said. “That’s the time people would normally get up. It doesn’t get in the way of anything.”
Flood said after the charity ride, some continue the early morning rides and participate from March through the winter months.
“When it snows, we’re done,” he said.
Snow is never in the forecast for the Pat’s Pedaling Pack event, but there have been some stormy days.
Tom McNamara recalls a year in which violent storms were present when the ride was scheduled to start.
“We were holed up in St. Barnabas for a while until the heavy stuff passed and the rest of the day was great,” he said. “A few years ago, it was raining pretty good and it didn’t look like it was going to stop. We took off. It was windy and cool but after a few hours the sun came out.
“Overall, we’ve been blessed with decent weather.”