Wheeling for Healing, a new fundraising initiative organized by BID Plymouth employees, gave 25 staff and community members the opportunity to take part in a “century” (100-mile) or “half-century” (50-mile) bike ride, logging their miles from August 22nd to September 5th.
Donors to each rider supported an important cause – the Employees Helping Employees Fund, which staff can access for support in paying for food, clothing, shelter, medical and travel expenses if they are experiencing financial difficulties. “We thought it critical to support any healthcare providers for whom financial hardship might become an additional burden,” says supporter Bernadette Kelly of the Bernadette Kelly Realty Group/Keller Williams. The inaugural Wheeling for Healing team raised over $16,000 – all of which will go directly to the Employees Helping Employees Fund.
Team members represented many hospital departments, including Lisa Bergendahl, Director of the Critical Care Center, who said she was riding because, “As a leader in the organization, I do my best on a daily basis to support the staff to do their jobs to the best of their ability. I feel it’s important to support the whole person, and if people are struggling to afford things at home, they are not fully present for their jobs. This was not only a great outlet for me personally to exercise and clear my head when away from the hospital, but it was also a great way to give back to my fellow employees who have given so much through this COVID crisis.”
The Wheeling for Healing 2020 Team:
Staff members:
Al Archibald, IT Specialist
Lisa Bergendahl, RN, Director of Critical Care Center
Ashley Berry, Manager of Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab Unit
Catherine Cooper, Social Worker, CSI
Sarah Drane, ACO Resource Specialist
Pam Feger, Patient Access Representative, Emergency Department
Kathi Horsman, Social Worker, Cancer Center
Stephanie Marglin, MD, Infectious Disease
Chris Moore, Senior Director of Public Safety & Support Services
Barry Rosenblum, MD, BIDMC
Kristen Sarkarati, Manager of Corporate Giving
Harry Snook, Director of Environmental Services – Lead Event Organizer
Ben Snyder, MD, Orthopedic Surgery
Megan Stewart, Patient Relations and Service Excellence Manager – Lead Event Organizer
Mark Tarlton, Senior Director of Facility Planning & Construction – Lead Event Logistics Organizer
Tenny Thomas, MD, Chief Medical Officer
Todd Wilson, Certified Medical Dosimetrist, Cancer Center
Community members:
Catherine Babcock
Andrew Bressem
Sean Cooper
Kara Coughlin
Meaghan Coughlin
Fred Hughes
Ashleigh McLean
Sheila Meagher
The following businesses supported the team as sponsors: BayCoast Mortgage Company; Dunkin’/Cadete Enterprises; Egan Landscape Group; Glynn Electric; MOAB Training International; Nettles Design; Rockland Athletic Supplies; and Sagamore Plumbing & Heating.
If you may be interested in participating in a 2021 Wheeling for Healing ride, please email philanthropy@bidplymouth.org and request to be added to communications for 2021.