McGann-Mercy to Host May 9th Kickoff of ALS Ride for Life 2011

On May 9th, Bishop McGann-Mercy Diocesan High School in Riverhead will serve as the kick-off point for the 2011 ALS Ride for Life.  After a blessing by the school’s Chaplain, 7th and 8th graders (110 students) will accompany Chris Pendergast, the organization’s founder, and other Ride for Life team members on the first leg of their ride as they “ride”/walk from McGann-Mercy to Riverhead High School for a brief presentation and continue to Riverhead Town Hall. 

Ride for Life, founded in 1998 by Chris Pendergast, is an organization dedicated to developing awareness about amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS – a.k.a. Lou Gehrig’s Disease), supporting patients with ALS and their families, and raising money toward finding a cure for ALS through research. 

Mr. Pendergast, a 1966 graduate of Mercy High School, was stricken with this debilitating disease in 1993.  Considered to be a member of the McGann-Mercy family, the school’s 7th and 8th graders have adopted Mr. Pendergast’s struggle and cause as their own.  The 2010-2011 school year to date, the students have raised over $2,000 through homeroom and lunch-time collections for Ride for Life.  The “Mercy Spirit” that pervades the halls of McGann-Mercy embodies not only the willingness of the student to part with their money, but more importantly, the student’s willingness to give of themselves and their time.  In addition to walking with Mr. Pendergast and participating in the kick-off, the students will also participate in the organization’s Remembrance and Commemoration Celebration at SUNY Stony Brook on May 14th.  They will assist in placing pinwheels in the 6,000 Pinwheel Display to illustrate all the lives lost to ALS. 

Day of Event Schedule – May 9th

8:00 am – Welcome and Blessing by Father Gerard Cestare – McGann-Mercy Auditorium

8:30 am – Ride/Walk from McGann-Mercy to Riverhead High School

9:30 am – Ride/Walk from Riverhead High School to Riverhead Town Hall

11:00 am – Riverhead Town Hall to McGann-Mercy High School

12:30 pm – 1:00 pm – Arrival at McGann-Mercy.

For more information, call 631.727.5900, ext. 32.