Bike to the End for a Friend

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On Saturday, Sept. 7, a group of bikers will gather at Bayside Clam Bar & Grill at the East Islip Marina and take off on an inspiring 86-mile bike ride from East Islip to Montauk.

Since 2003, the annual Bike to the End for a Friend 501(c)(3) organization unites individuals to raise money for a local community member from the greater East Islip area.

The Bike to the End for a Friend Committee carefully reviews all of the community submissions and anonymously votes to decide which individual to support for that year’s ride. The committee is made up of lifelong friends that live in the community: Rose Cummings, Lorraine and Rich Mojica, Valerie and Anthony Arma, Debbie and Carl Vik, and John and Pam Perkins.

The ride was founded by Jim Cummings, the late husband of committee member Rose Cummings, out of his sincere desire to help those around him. Riders proudly continue to ride since Jim died from brain cancer in 2014.

“One of the things Jim figured out is we all give to national wonderful organizations, but these big organizations have a lot of big overhead,” explained John Perkins, a director on the Bike to the End for a Friend committee who became involved with the ride in 2007. “This is really a grassroots, local ride, local nonprofit. The money goes right back to the person and has a big impact on their life. If you have lost your job, a parent, someone is sick, and it causes mounting medical bills or mortgages, we help provide the financial support they need.”

This year, funds raised will be donated to the family of John Hanley. Hanley was born and raised in East Islip and was a loving husband to Patricia and devoted father of five children when he died suddenly on April 6, 2024. Hanley was a family man who was always concerned about the welfare of others, and served as a police officer and member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. One of Hanley’s biggest concerns was for his daughter Kayla, who is suffering with a medical condition leaving her in constant pain. Hanley’s death leaves not only a financial hole for his surviving family, but also for ongoing medical expenses for Kayla.

Around 6 a.m., all riders at Bayside Clam Bar & Grill at the East Islip Marina will be gathered together to prepare for the ride. While some very experienced riders have joined the ride for over 20 years, others have never ridden this kind of distance.

“I have seen a lot of people come out for a ride who had never ridden before, but they do a fine job, and they get the support they need to finish and enjoy themselves as well,” shared Perkins.

The ride, which is not a race, will feature three rest stops for bikers along the way, spaced every 20 miles. Volunteers from the community set up the rest stop stations so the riders can stretch and get hydrated. Islip Terrace Scout Troop 327 also gets involved by preparing peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches and orange slices for riders to enjoy at a rest stop.

The ride officially ends in Montauk at Lions Field on S. Edgemere Street, where committee members and support volunteers will greet all the riders as they finish as well as celebrate their astonishing accomplishment.

“When you first tackle this and pull into Montauk, you get very emotional. It feels amazing—I rode my bike all the way to Montauk!” explained Perkins. “You use the strength of your emotion of why you are riding, your purpose, and goals, to help you get through it.”

Money will also be raised for the Hanley family through a raffle fundraiser and purchasing Bike to the End for a Friend merchandise. To inquire about the raffle and purchase tickets, contact BiketoMontauk@gmail.com, and view merchandise at www.biketotheend.org.

Riders can register up until the day of the ride. If anyone has questions about the ride or would like a registration, they can email us at BiketoMontauk@gmail.com and we’ll send them a registration. The suggested donation for riders is $100.

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Photos courtesy of John Perkins.