Why I Ride ...
I ride in loving memory of three of my heros who each lost their battle with pancreatic cancer - A. Joseph DeLai (my dad), Werner Kirchheimer (my father-in-law) and Patrick A. Schettini, Jr. (my mentor and friend). Each of these men came from humble beginnings, faced great adversity in their lives, and from that adversity, emerged as strong, compassionate, caring, hard-working, dedicated individuals. They each touched my life deeply and taught me valuable life lessons that have shaped who I am today. While their lives were caught short by this insidious disease, their legacy lives on.
My dad was born in Italy and came to America as a young boy of 7. Just a few years after arriving in this country, his father was killed tragically in an explosion on a highway project. He quickly became the young man of the family, helping to ensure that his sister and mother were provided for. He made sure he graduated from High School then put himself through college earning a degree in Chemistry. He went on to be a well-respected scientist and inventor of many things that changed the world including synthetic diamonds that are used to drill for oil and the honeycomb heat shield that helped make the Apollo space flight possible. My dad was a kind, caring, gentle, soft-spoken, warm, loving man. He loved to laugh, dance, fish, eat, and fix things ... all things I got from him. After fighting colon cancer and liver cancer, he succommed rather quickly to pancreatic cancer at the young age of 57. He passed away in January of 1987, just five months prior to my graduating valedictorian from his alma mater, St. Michael's College. I miss the memories we never got to share. I miss the wisdom he never got to impart. I ride in hopes that others will not lose their dad's at such a young age.
My father-in-law was born in Germany during World War II. As a teenager, he was captured by Nazi's and taken to a concentration camp with his brother and sister. He survived this horrific ordeal and eventually moved to this country with his family and little else. He worked hard to learn a trade becoming an electrician in New York City. He worked incredibly hard to provide for his family, raising three wonderful daughters. He, too, was a kind, caring, gentle, soft-spoken, warm, and loving man. His daughter Debra, my wife, loved him dearly and gets from him the same kindness and compassion for people. I know that she misses him every single day. I ride in hopes that our incredible spouses will be spared the pain of losing their loved ones.
Pat was born and raised in Revere, Massachusetts to a family of humble means. He lost is mother at a young age. He worked hard to pull himself up by the proverbial boot straps to make a name for himself. He got involved in local politics at a very young age, having the gift of charm and congeniality on his side. He went on to become a teacher which is where our paths crossed as he began his teaching career at Reading Memorial High School when I was a junior in High School. He was a frequent spectator and fan of our softbal team. While I went on to graduate, he stayed at RMHS for 17 years, eventually becoming Assistant Principal. He left to become a Principal and then an Assistant Superintendent before returning to Reading to take on the role of Superintendent of Schools. He dedicated his life to nurturing and educating children. He, too, was a kind, caring, gentle, soft-spoken, warm, and loving man. He, too, loved to laugh. He loved people and loved to be with people. He was taken from us at the young age of 51. I ride in hopes that cures may be found so that great men may live longer and make even greater contributions to the world.
I ride in memory of these three great men, my heros, in hopes that a cure to all cancers, including pancreatic cancer, may be found. I ride to end the suffering - theirs and ours. I ride to make the world a better place by allowing the heros among us to walk among us for many years to come.
I ask for your support. If 100 of you, my friends and family, donate just $50 - the cost of one dinner out - you will help me achieve my fundraising goal. It's a small sacrifice to make - just one less dinner out this year - to help fund the work of finding a cure. I thank you, in advance, for your support - financial and emotional - as I tackle this challenge.
