Matt’s riding to fight kids’ cancer

by Dan McClelland

Every day when the Junction’s Matt Arsenault rides to work at Sunmount, he’s riding to fight kids’ cancer. -And already this month he’s raised $3,000 for the cause.

It’s part of the Great Cycle Challenge held one month every year where cyclists like Matt who enjoy riding set personal ride targets and log their miles throughout the month.

Traditionally the event is slated for June but this year, due to the pandemic, it was pushed back to this month.

The program is nationwide and for all ages and all fitness levels. Goals can range from 25 miles for the month to 1,000 miles ore more.

“There’s no minimum,” organizers say. “It’s your challenge, ride it your way!”

Riders spread the word of their challenge and Matt has used Facebook almost exclusively. People routinely respond to the news by making a donation to support childhood cancer research and save little lives.

The Great Cycle Challenge USA computer application is downloaded by riders and that’s where they record their miles ridden in September and where a total is kept of the miles for the month on each rider’s profile page.

Those bikes with GPS devices directly upload miles travelled to the rider’s account.

This is the fourth year in a row that Matt has taken the challenge.

About four years ago he noticed an advertisement for the Challenge on the internet and it piqued his curiosity. He decided to give it a try.

The first year he raced as a tribute to his childhood best friend Mike Straub, who died of cancer at the young age of 22.

“We were best friends growing up! He lived on Webb Row and I lived on Pine St. growing up.”

As teenagers Matt went with Mike to some of his treatments during his long battle with cancer. “When Mike died it was like losing a brother!”

“So that year I rode for Mike and that’s how I got into it.”

He explained people learning of his quest on Facebook started donating to him and so he continued year after year.

The donations are just straight donations, not a certain sum per mile, he explained during an interview in his sunny kitchen on Amell Lane Saturday morning.

Matt rides a multi-speed mountain bike and he tries to get out on it every day, weather permitting.

The event is organized by the national Childrens’ Research Fund. Checks in support of Matt are always made out to that charitable organization.

Donations should flow in all month.

“Last night I received a donation from Kim Kopp, who is in the U.S. Air Force Reserves and who is currently stationed in the Middle East.”

“Right now I think I’m $30 shy of $3,000 this year. He’s already past this year’s personal goal of $2,500.

“The first year I tried to be humble about what I was doing and didn’t get on Facebook and only told a few people and I raised $300. I think last year my total was the most to that point: $2,600.”

He said each donation is inspiring and makes him want to ride more miles. “They make me get out and ride my bike.”

Although he enjoys random rides around the community, Matt noted that most of the miles he accumulates is the three and one half mile ride to his job as a security guard at Sunmount, and then, of course, back home again after his shift.

“A couple of the recent mornings it’s been in the twenties when I leave for work so I have to bundle up!”

He said on those less than perfect rides that’s where he gets the motivation from the generous donations to ride his bike instead of driving to work.

His son Brenden said he’s proud of what his dad is doing and often rides with him on excursions around town. Tiny daughter Genevieve goes on those rides too. She says she goes the fastest of the three.

Organizers give out small gifts to reward riders.

Half way through the month, riders receive a “Kick Cancer’s Butt Day” sticker. On that day the American Cancer Society matches all donations.

“This year I received $313 that day that was matched by the society.”

People who wish to donate go to the Great Cycle Challenge web site and donate directly. There’s a button there to find their rider so the donation goes to his or her account.

There are also fundraising levels riders can meet where they receive jerseys with messages like “Great Cycle Challenge” and “GCC” on a Spiderman costume background, both of which Matt has received. The GCC jersey is called “the hero jersey,” he noted.

“People come up to me in town with cash or a check and tell me they want to support my ride and I send the money in for them.” He said the giving from local people in this little town is amazing.

“People come up to me in a store and ask me how my ride is going. Even if they don’t have a donation, it’s that support that keeps me going!”

Outside his rides to work, Matt’s longest ride this month was 20 miles and for a 49 year old that’s a lot of time to sit on the narrow seat of a bike, he notes.

The event also features an appreciation day when the riders' faces are posted on a large digital bulletin board in New York City’s Time Square. If you collect a certain amount of donations you have your face posted with three others. If you raise another level of donations, you are featured alone there, he explained.

“I got my own photo up there this year and I’m quite proud of that.”

He said he wasn’t going to do it a fourth time this year, but decided at the last minute to give it another whirl. “I’m glad I got motivated again.

“The exercise is good for me and it makes me feel good riding to help young kids battling that terrible disease!”