PHOTOS BY JOHN FRYMAN / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
COMMEMORATIVE QUILT … In honor of the 25th anniversary of the Cancer Assistance of Williams County Bike to the Bridge event, cancer survivor Mary Weirich of Montpelier made a commemorative handmade quilt depicting previous Bike to the Bridge events throughout the years. The quilt will be auctioned off during the Cancer Assistance of Williams County Purse and Gun Bingo event to be held on February 27, 2027.
BIKE TO THE BRIDGE … The 25th annual Cancer Assistance of Williams County Bike to the Bridge event was held on Saturday, August 1 at the East Courthouse Annex in Bryan. There were 107 bicyclists who participated in the event that helped raise money for cancer patients in Williams County. In the above photo, a group of bicyclists depart on one of the four routes ranging from five to 50 miles.
By: John Fryman
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
john@thevillagereporter.com
The Cancer Assistance of Williams County has been the beneficiary of a popular event to help raise money for cancer patients. On Saturday, August 1, the 25th annual Bike to the Bridge took place.
Money raised from the event, whose theme is “Pedaling with a Purpose,” goes towards Cancer Assistance of Williams County, which helps Williams County cancer patients with financial assistance.
Jason Zervos, who serves as program coordinator for Cancer Assistance of Williams County, said there has been a lot of support from the community over the past 25 years.
Zervos said the Cancer Assistance Board of Directors came up with a fundraising event back in 2001. They wanted to do something to raise funds for cancer assistance in Williams County, and it took off from there.
Mike Kurivial, who serves as the Bike to the Bridge chairman, said the event has grown since it started.
“When we started this originally, we probably had 35 to 40 riders, and we’ve had in excess of 100 riders,” said Kurivial.
Kurivial added that anybody living in Williams County who is diagnosed with cancer can get up to $1,500 to be used for anything such as gas cards, deductibles, and medical expenses.
“The event raises between $15,000 and $20,000 a year to go to that,” he commented.
With several family members affected by cancer, the Bike to the Bridge holds special significance for Kurivial, especially for the support it provides each year.
“The thing I love most of all is that we sell signs, in memory signs, and in support of signs, and we call it the ‘memory mile,’” he said.
“We ask everybody shortly, right after we get out on the ride and cross the railroad tracks is the ‘memory mile.’ We got all of these signs out there asking people to pray. It’s pretty sobering and gets to me now just talking about it.”
The Bike to the Bridge event consists of four different routes, a five-mile route, a 10-mile route, a 25-mile route and a 50-mile route.
The 5-10 mile ride goes from Bryan to Parkersburg Wildlife Area and back with an option to turn around at the halfway point.
A 25-mile ride goes from Bryan to the Lockport Bridge and back, and the 50-mile ride goes from Bryan to the Lockport Bridge, through Goll Woods, then on to Oxbow Lake in Defiance County and back to Bryan.
Cancer Assistance of Williams County, which was founded in 1996, has made an important difference for those who are currently fighting the disease.
Last year, the organization served 118 families, with clients traveling more than 95,000 miles for treatment.
It provided $70,242 in financial assistance covering the cost of medication, medical service co-pays, prescribed medical supplies not covered by insurance, and other special needs such as gas cards to assist with attending appointments and obtaining treatment. Of those clients, 78 percent were 60 and older.
“We primarily support this mission through events like this and other donations that come in from the community,” said Zervos.
“What we’re doing here today helps us support our mission. All of the proceeds from this event go strictly 100 percent towards the individuals in our county who are fighting cancer.”
There were commemorative jerseys and hats that were available for purchase as part of the 25th anniversary of the Bike to the Bridge.
In honor of the 25th anniversary of the Bike to the Bridge event, Mary Weirich of Montpelier, who is a cancer survivor, made a commemorative handmade quilt depicting nearly all of the past Bike to the Bridge events.
The commemorative quilt will be auctioned off at the Purse and Gun Bingo event on February 27, 2027.
Cancer Assistance of Williams County President Michelle Beck thanked those bicyclists who participated in the Bike to the Bridge event. There were 107 bicyclists who participated this year.
“The support we receive helped so many people throughout the entire year,” said Beck.
“I know from my own cancer battle years ago, the hardships that come from cancer and what you go through, the generosity like this from a community like ours is truly life changing. It can give you the push to fight harder when you need it.”
