This year, the event returns Sunday, May 3, with 25- and 50-mile rides beginning and ending at the South Brunswick Community Center off New
Road. Bicycle enthusiasts of all levels are invited to participate in the event, which helps support the cost of breast-cancer screenings for low-income women. Last year, proceeds from the ride enabled the Amy Foundation to make a $52,000 donation to Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick to help fill the gap left by the significant cuts in government funding for charity-care patients. The support covers the cost of 457 screening mammograms, or one each day through Dec. 31, 2009, from the time of the donation. That kind of support certainly would have made Behar smile. “She was concerned about us more than about her(self),” Arie Behar, 50, of South Brunswick said last year of his wife. “She was determined to do whatever she could to prevent the same thing from happening to someone else.” The event begins at 8 a.m. The 25-mile route is designed for individuals who ride for pleasure and prefer to progress at their own pace. The 50-mile ride is designed for more experienced and trained riders and requires they be in good physical condition. The longer route is a combination of flat, rolling and hilly terrain. The registration fee is $150 &mdash the cost of one mammogram &mdash and all riders will be provided with a water bottle, a Bike Ride for Amy T-shirt and a biker’s vest to wear on the ride. Statistics show that the earlier a tumor is diagnosed, the better the survival rate. There are 47 million uninsured people in the United States, and nearly half of them are women. For many, having a preventive mammogram once a year and seeking rapid treatment if something is discovered is not a high priority.
A dermatologist will hold a short discussion about skin cancer and follow up with an optional free screening for skin cancer in the Overlook Hospital Healthy Avenues Van. Time slots for the screenings are limited. More information is available by calling 908-851-5451 or by e-mailing .