Over 250 miles. $16,000. A Times Square billboard marking the finish line.
From Oct. 17 to 19, seniors Jakub Paul and Aarav Jadhav embarked on a journey from Brookline to Times Square, biking the whole way. They did this ride to raise money for The Boston House, a home for families to stay for no cost if they have children who are receiving cancer treatment.
Paul and Jadhav are both members of the Outdoor Adventure Club. Paul said that last spring, he and Jadhav rode from Brookline to Provincetown and decided to raise money for The Boston House. On that ride, they raised around $2,500. Paul said that this cause was near and dear to both himself and Jadhav.
“We both had some relation in our families to cancer, and [cancer treatment] is a big industry, but people don’t take into account the added costs of not just the treatment, but also the costs of staying somewhere. Most people have to stay for at least a few months. We wanted to support in that way,” Paul said.
Social worker Paul Epstein is the adviser for the Outdoor Adventure Club, and he often bikes with Paul and Jadhav. He said that after Paul and Jadhav’s ride to Provincetown, they immediately wanted to do something longer and more impactful. To do this, they created a non-profit initiative called Ride for Hope.
“We picked a weekend in October, and then [Jadhav and Paul] just went to work,” Epstein said. “They went hard at the planning, the logistics, the fundraising and the PR. It just became a wildly successful ride in every respect.”
Paul has been biking since he was little. He said he grew up in the Polish mountains and mountain biked with his father there, and after living in the United States for a few years, he got back into it. He has recently raced in the Rockies and in California.
“[Biking is] just very enjoyable,” Paul said. “It’s a different kind of viewing experience of the world.”
According to both Paul and Jadhav, while Paul is more involved in the biking side of Ride for Hope, Jadhav is more engaged with the fundraising and PR side. Ride for Hope connected with Hamilton Restaurant in Coolidge Corner to host a raffle event, and the restaurant also sponsored their trip. Also, CBS News reached out to the Ride for Hope team and did an interview with them the day before their trip. Jadhav said this publicity allowed them to quickly exceed their initial monetary goals.
“These families are selling everything they have just to come here and pay for treatment. So if we can do something as a community and help them out, that’s just fabulous,” Jadhav said.
“And by raising all the money we have, right now, we’ve provided three or four families about 15 to 20 days of free housing for their kids undergoing treatment at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s or other places,”
Epstein said Paul planned an “amazing” route, through back roads and biking trails, although there was one rugged portion of the ride, with rocks and roots that were sketchy for their bikes. He also said that the video manager had intense stomach pain and had to go to the hospital for the day, but he rejoined the group at the end. Throughout all of the mishaps, he said the group grew closer.
“Now we’re besties. We’re already planning a reunion to get together,” Epstein said.
According to Epstein, Jadhav found out that they could buy space on a billboard for $150 for a day, displayed for 15 seconds every hour. Jadhav said they were able to bike into Times Square right when the billboard appeared.
“Never in my life would I have imagined being on a Times Square billboard, especially at the age of 17,” Jadhav said.
Epstein pointed out that the members of the group were incredibly diverse: their support vehicle driver was from Honduras, Jadhav is from India and Paul is from Poland. Their ages ranged from 17 to 70; one of Epstein’s friends was 70. He said they greatly enjoyed each other’s company and the diversity of the group.
“This is my 26th year working here,” Epstein said. “[The trip] was probably right up there with the best BHS-related experiences I’ve had.”
Jadhav said that the first day was the longest, causing them to be fatigued on the second day. He said that once they reached day three, their thoughts only centered on their determination to get to New York City.
“Whenever we got tired, we kept thinking of the families who we were helping, because that energy itself motivated us even more,” Jadhav said.
Paul said that he has many ideas on how he will continue Ride for Hope and do more fundraisers; for example, a triathlon with swimming, biking and running, or a ride to Mount Washington followed by a climb.
“It’s a strange feeling. You’re relieved to finish, but at the same time you’re hungry for more,” Paul said. “Now I’m thinking, Well, what’s next? How are we gonna one-up this?”
