SARASOTA – Zipping to the finish line hundreds of cyclist participate in the 10th annual Gran Fondo Sarasota hosted by Team Tony Cancer Foundation Sunday morning.
“There’s 300 people coming together to help out the community,” said Tony McEachern. “It was really remarkable, you know kind of breath taking to see this many people out here supporting what we are up to and our cancer community.”
McEachern a brain cancer survivor, founded the Team Tony Cancer Foundation, first organized the event to help with personal medical expenses. 10 years later the Gran Fondo Sarasota has grown in size and now helps out those in the community.
“I was diagnosed when I was 33, it would’ve been nice to see someone there like me just to offer a little insight an inspiration,” said McEachern.
McEachern says the annual bike ride helps bring a community together but also raise awareness that you don’t have to battle cancer alone. “It’s raising awareness for people in the community, a place for them to go to receive one on one peer support,” he said.
Cyclist started at Nathan Benderson Park from there they had the option to ride 100, 62, or 33 miles. Former professional bicycle rider Bobby Julich joined Team Tony for the ride. He says its an honor to be asked to be part of such a special event.
“When you see what Tony does and his whole organization does with the office that they have and the peer to peer support that they offer the community, you can’t help but to get behind it,” said Julich.
McEachern says the event continues to grow with each passing year and can’t thank the community enough over the last decade. He’s also already planning Team Tony’s signature gala event Jacket and Jeans. That will be on January 25, 2020 at Michael’s on East.
To get more information and get involved with the non-profit visit their website teamtony.org
