Second ‘Last Mile’ Motorcycle Ride

Saturday, Aug. 25 in Randolph

When the second annual Last Mile motorcycle ride revs into Randolph Saturday, Aug. 25, three riders will have come all the way from Maryland to support the event, which benefits Gifford Medical Center's end-of-life care program.

Crystal Waters, formerly of Washington, Vt., has raised nearly $3,600 so far for Gifford and will ride with two others, Pascal Girard of Maryland and Susan Dominca of Colorado, on scooters nearly 600 miles from central Maryland to Vermont to participate in the charity ride. The Last Mile ride supports Gifford’s efforts to provide outstanding care to those in the last mile of life, in part through the hospital’s Garden Room suite for dying patients.

Charles "Shod" McCullough, the father of Waters’ long-time boyfriend, died in Gifford’s Garden Room Feb. 15, 2007, at age 75 following a battle with cancer. Shortly after the Chelsea man’s death, Waters logged onto Gifford's Web site and happened upon information about the ride.

"When I discovered that Gifford was coordinating a motorcycle ride to raise funds for its end-of-life services, I knew I had to do it for Shod and for his family," Waters said. "When Shod died, the family had asked that donations be made to the Garden Room, so this is an especially fitting way to honor his memory."

Gifford not only attended to her late husband's needs during his stay in the Garden Room, says Shod’s widow, Sally McCullough of Chelsea, but also attended to the family’s needs. With Sally were her two daughters and a two-year-old grandchild. What’s become known as the Valentine’s Blizzard kept the family confined to the hospital and Sally McCullough says hospital staff allowed her granddaughter to play in the hallways, brought her videos and snacks and even helped bathe her.

Waters has set a fundraising goal of $10,000 and helped facilitate the donation of a motor scooter from manufacturer Vespa. The company will give a 2007 Vespa LX 50 valued at $3,200 to a lucky raffle ticket winner.

‘Last Mile’ Fund

This is the second annual Last Mile ride. Last year's ride attracted 74 riders from Vermont and New England and raised $7,000 for end-of-life care at Gifford. The money has been used primarily for services not covered by insurance, such as massage and even acupuncture for dying patients.

The Last Mile fund has also helped start a hospice singing group in Randolph, "Riverbend," which sings at the bedsides of the dying; supported a separate hospice music event in March and an annual May remembrance ceremony. It paid for "Hope Through Healing" packets the hospital mails to grieving families over the year following a loved one’s death; helped Gifford start a library of books on dying and grieving for families of patients to read while at the hospital; and purchased an educational DVD for nurses, which describes how to best assist dying patients with pain control, spiritual needs and more.

Money also remains in the fund to help pay for future work by Gifford’s Advanced Illness Care Team, which provides specialized care for dying patients and their families.

This Saturday

This year’s ride will take riders more than 100 miles through central Vermont. Staging begins at 9:30 a.m. at Gifford on Route 12 in Randolph. Riders return to a barbecue lunch, live music from the band Hillary and the Party Crashers, chair massages from Gifford’s neighbor Integrative Health and prize awards.

Riders are asked to raise $50 ($75 for a driver and passenger) through donations from friends and family to participate, but are encouraged to raise more. Those who raise the most will win prizes donated from area motorcycle retailers, including ride sponsor Lucky's Motor Sports of South Royalton, Lebanon Motor Toys of Lebanon, N.H., Shaker Valley Auto Center of Enfield, N.H., Frank's Motorcycle Sales of Essex Junction, Green Mountain Harley-Davidson of Essex Junction, Twin States Harley-Davidson of Lebanon, N.H., Wilkins Harley-Davidson of Barre and Central Vermont Motorcycles of Rutland.

To learn more about the ride or to register, log on to www.giffordmed.org. Buy raffle tickets for the Vespa motor scooter or ask questions about the ride, by calling 728-2380. Only 250 raffle tickets are available. The winning ticket will be drawn at the ride on Aug. 25.

Area residents are invited to cheer the riders on along the route. The ride leaves the hospital at 11 a.m. traveling north on Route 12 through Randolph village and will return from the south at around 2:15 p.m.

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