Last Mile Ride Is Roaring Success

Last Mile riders prepare to leave Gifford Medical Center on Saturday. (Provided / Lou DiNicola)

Nearly 90 motorcyclists roared out of Gifford Medical Center in Randolph Saturday, Aug. 25, raising more than $15,000 for end-of-life care at the Randolph hospital.

The event was the second annual Last Mile ride and it drew a total of 87 motorcyclists on 69 bikes from as far away as Colorado.

"What an outstanding showing," said Ashley Lincoln, Gifford director of development and marketing. "Motorcyclists locally and others who traveled great distances to attend our ride have adopted this cause with overwhelming enthusiasm. We are humbled by their effort and the effort of so many Gifford employees who volunteered on Saturday."

Founded by Gifford nurse Lynda McDermott in 2006 and sponsored this year by Lucky’s Motor Sports of Royalton, the ride took motorcyclists more than 100 miles through central Vermont and ended with a celebration at the hospital. Hillary and the Party Crashers played rock music, Integrative Health of Randolph gave the riders free chair massages, and riders enjoyed a barbecue and were awarded prizes.

The largest prize, a $300 Lucky’s gift certificate, went to Crystal Waters, who rode all the way from Maryland to participate in the ride in memory of her boyfriend’s father, Charles "Shod" McCullough of Chelsea, who died in Gifford’s Garden Room in February, following a battle with cancer.

Gifford provides specialized care to hospice patients and their families through the Garden Room—a garden-side suite for end-of-life care patients—and the multidisciplinary Advanced Illness Care Team.

"Sometimes our work with death and dying has its rewards, it absolutely does," said Sandy Conrad, Gifford’s social worker and an Advanced Illness Care Team member, "but it also has its challenges. As a person who sometimes gets challenged a lot, moments like the Last Mile Ride—seeing all of these people come out and support this cause and the work that we do here—who believe in the work that we do here—it re-energizes me."

The crowd cheered when the amount of money raised was announced (more than twice last year’s $7,000) and was awed at the amount Waters alone raised.

Formerly of Washington, Vt., Waters collected nearly $4,000 from people around the country after learning of the ride on Gifford’s Web site following McCullough’s death. She ultimately did not participate in the actual ride. Her motor scooter broke down on the 600-mile journey from her home state of Maryland to Vermont. Waters, two other motor scooter riders who came with her from Maryland, and the McCullough family, spent the sweltering, but dry, day at the hospital, cheering on the other riders and enjoying the celebration.

Other top prizes went to Larry Richburg, who raised $1,200, and McDermott, who for the second year in a row, raised $1,100.

"Motorcyclists have big hearts for worthy causes and I met many on Saturday," McDermott said. "I hope the Last Mile ride will continue to be a success, so we can give the very best care to our patients."

The winner of a raffle for a new, $3,200 Vespa motorscooter—which Waters was instrumental in getting donated from the manufacturer—was Gifford’s own Dr. Lou DiNicola, who said he anticipated riding it back and forth from his Randolph home to work at Gifford.

The Last Mile ride is an annual event. Log onto to giffordmed.org to see more photos of this year’s ride and look for registration forms in 2008 for the third annual Last Mile ride.

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