Eastern Mountain Sports is proud to announce its sponsorship of Bicycles Battling Cancer, a DetermiNation endurance event benefiting the American Cancer Society taking place in Lancaster, MA on September 24, 2022. EMS will not only be present at the event with a finish line tent but will also have a fundraising team of its own, made up of team members from across the company as well as brand partners and community representatives. Leading the charge is EMS’s hardgoods buyer and Team Captain John Flynn.
Flynn’s leadership both in EMS projects and team charity pursuits can be traced back throughout his 9 years with the company— most recently, as the lead fundraiser for Team EMS’ Cycle the Seacoast Event to benefit the American Lung Association. The money Flynn and his team raise will aid groundbreaking research toward cancer prevention and early detection, support, and support public policy for the American Cancer Society, the largest private, nonprofit provider of cancer research. This year, Flynn has already lead the team in raising over $2,000 of their $5,000 fundraising goal for this year’s BBC event and plans to ride the 100 mile course in honor of loved ones. Below, John talks more about his backstory and personal interest in the event, which he hopes will help others going through similar experiences.
“In 2005 a great friend of mine was diagnosed with MFH Sarcoma. He was given a less than 15% chance of winning this battle. Over the ensuing 2.5 years he endured 78 zaps of radiation and 212 rounds of chemo. It is a miracle that he is still with us today. Fast forward to May 2012, my wife and I (and our 1-year-old and 1.5-year-old) were informed that my mother in-law was diagnosed with Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer. We had her only two grandchildren at the time—We decided that night to quit our jobs and move to Connecticut so she could spend as much time with our boys as she could. We relocated in August of 2012 and began to settle in. Actually, had my mother in-law not gotten sick I likely would still be in the Adirondacks and not a part of the EMS family—I started working for EMS in October of that year. That same month we were rocked again as my father was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer. For the better part of 27 months we provided all of the support and encouragement we could to our parents. My father lost his battle on January 6, 2015 and my mother in-law lost her battle 60 days later on March 7. While these are the most impactful experiences I have had with cancer I have also lost relatives to breast and ovarian cancer as well. So I ride for those who are no longer with us, for those still fighting and for those who can’t ride.”
Thank you, John, for your leadership and care for others navigating this difficult experience, we look forward to following along as you advocate for the cause. To donate to John’s fundraiser, visit here or find him on the EMS Team fundraising page.
Read the full Press Release here.
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