Last month Dave and Laurie Albert, Kellie Mulherin, and Rob McDonald joined the more than 1,100 volunteers for the 38th annual Prouty where 4,000+ participants raised a record-breaking $3,300,000 for The Prouty. The Prouty is the largest charity north of Boston and the money raised provides funds for cancer-related research and projects as well as patient and family support services at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer Center.
On Friday, July 12th Dave, Laurie, and Rob completed pre-race work in anticipation of Saturday’s big event by putting signs along the road to guide the cyclists and walkers. On Saturday they joined Kellie at 6:00 am where they stocked their SAG station with watermelons, blueberries, pickles (which were a hit!), snacks, Gatorade, and water in preparation for the cyclists. “Our simple but important tasks were making sure plenty of food & drinks were ready at hand, especially peanut butter & jelly sandwiches and to greet all cyclists with a smile. Anything they needed, we made sure they got it. From a warm welcome to a praise for a job well done, we answered any questions the cyclists may have had like “How many miles am I in?”, and “Where do I go next?” and paying attention to anyone if they seemed out of sorts. Rob was the mechanic on duty ready to fix a flat or tighten a chain. Dave and Laurie also lent a helping hand in all of the above and Bodie, I think, was the hit of the station!
At the end of the day, it’s inspiring to see the accomplishment on the participant’s faces as they cross that finish line knowing all of their hard efforts have paid off. The smiles will last forever in my memory of how pleased they were with themselves and for someone close to their heart. I’m sure each one of them has a story like “my Dad would have been so proud I did this for him.” says Kellie Mulherin, 2nd-year volunteer (and 3rd longest employee at RCS, marking her 23rd year this month).
After the event the delicious smells filled the air from sizzling hot barbecue grills inside the Boloco’s food truck (which made over 3,000 burritos!), you could find any food item imaginable and desserts galore. There were canopies providing shade to the folks sharing photos in remembrance of a loved one they may have lost to survivor stories. From first-timers to repeat participants everyone is out on this day for one purpose in mind and that is to find a cure for cancer.
RCS employee Alex getting ready to ride 77 miles in the Prouty.
RCS is honored to be a part of this epic charity event each year!
Additional information regarding The Prouty:
