John Matthews rolled into MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper in Camden on Saturday, Aug. 15, after five days and more than 425 miles on a bicycle, finishing a ride he started as a promise to his late mother.
Matthews, a Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, resident who founded the nonprofit Ride Hard Breathe Easy, began the 10th annual Classic on Tuesday, Aug. 11, at Dartmouth Cancer Center in Hanover, New Hampshire. He and fellow riders pedaled through five states before arriving at Cooper's campus, according to Cooper Health. The organization has contributed roughly $10,000 to the hospital's Patient in Need Fund.
Cooper University Health Care operates a Cherry Hill Specialty Center at 2339 Route 70 West and logs more than 2.54 million patient visits annually across its network. Through its partnership with Ride Hard Breathe Easy, MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper provides eligible lung cancer patients with help covering transportation to treatment, groceries, utility and housing bills, wigs and other essentials not covered by insurance.
"I started riding because I made my mom a promise," Matthews said upon arriving Aug. 15. "But every year, this ride becomes bigger than my family's story. It is about every patient who needs help getting to treatment, paying a bill, buying groceries, or simply making it through the hardest days of a lung cancer diagnosis with a little less stress."
Matthews lost his mother, Kathleen, to lung cancer in 2011. He began riding in 2017 and formalized Ride Hard Breathe Easy as a 501(c)(3) in 2019. Over nine rides, the organization has raised more than $1.2 million and provided direct financial assistance to more than 2,500 patients and families nationwide.
Each Classic cyclist must raise a minimum of $2,500 to participate. The riders carried the names and stories of lung cancer patients along the route, stopping in communities to meet supporters and hospital partners.
Lisa Morina, senior vice president and chief philanthropy officer at The Cooper Foundation, said the organization's commitment helps address everyday challenges that accompany a diagnosis.
How to help or get help
Cherry Hill residents who want to support the cause can donate at rhbe.org/donate or contact the organization at [email protected]. Patients seeking financial assistance can reach MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper directly.
Two upcoming events are on the calendar:
- Saturday, Sept. 19 — Celebration Ride along the Schuylkill River Trail
- Thursday, Oct. 8, 6:30 p.m. — 8th Annual Evening to Breathe Easy fundraiser at Morris Arboretum in Philadelphia
