#WhyIRide Wednesday: Carrie Sines Jarvis

Carrie Sines Jarvis, Team MBSC, has been a registered rider in the Pan Ohio Hope Ride since 2020. As a cycling enthusiast who’d ridden 20, 30 and even 50 miles before, she had friends who had ridden Pan Ohio for several years.

“I was always in awe of the riders I knew,” she explains. “Then I was diagnosed with cancer and realized how important Hope Lodge can be for people going thru treatment, and I knew I needed to help in any way I could.”

In 2019, Carrie was diagnosed with breast cancer and counts herself lucky that all her treatment was within 30-45 minutes of her home, saying that she can’t imagine how stressful it would be to have to travel long distances or find a place to stay during treatment.

Carrie said that she made it a goal while she was finishing her cancer treatment to prepare for the next Pan Ohio Hope Ride. Unfortunately, the 2020 ride she registered for was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, Carrie managed to raise more than $5,000 in her first Pan Ohio year, joining the Dynamo Club and earning a spot in the socially distanced “Relay for Hope” that replaced the in-person ride.

The cause and camaraderie was enough to bring her back again in 2021 for the modified Hope Ride “Cloverleaf,” with routes going out and back from Otterbein College in Columbus. In 2022, Carrie again joined the Dynamo Club and led the riders out of the Start for the first Hope Ride to traverse the state since 2019.

Beyond the importance of the cause, Carrie has another reason why she rides and why she invites other cyclists to join: “It’s an adventure and a chance to grow your family…because these people are indeed my family.”

Carrie registered for the 2023 Hope Ride as soon as the website launched, just days before a devastating motor vehicle crash impacted her trajectory for 2023. On a long road to recovery herself, she still hopes to ride at least one or more days this coming July but says that she’ll volunteer to support the riders any day she can’t get in the saddle herself. 

Thank you, Carrie, for your commitment and dedication. Your Pan Ohio Family wishes you (and your husband and former POHR Ed Jarvis) all the best!

Virtual Event Recording: An Introduction to the Pan Ohio Hope Ride

On December 7, 2022, our extraordinary POHR staff hosted a virtual get-together via Zoom to talk about the 2023 Pan Ohio Hope Ride, covering a variety of topics from how to fundraise to how to train and so much more! 

A recording of the online enrichment event is now available on our YouTube Channel @panohiohoperide. 

This online educational and social session welcomed Hope Riders Brian Bortz, Ben Heil, and Tony Harbert (who was a first-time rider in 2022), who shared their personal experiences and lessons learned, and answered questions about our fun and meaningful fundraising bicycle tour.

Hosted about every other month and typically following our in-person social events, these virtual events provide an easy way to introduce POHR-curious individuals to the Hope Ride in a low-pressure virtual social setting. 

SAVE THE DATE: Our next virtual event is scheduled for Tuesday, February 28, 2023, and will cover the topic of training and preparation. Check your email and/or watch social media in the near future for details.  

If you’re recruiting a first-time rider who needs the discount code to register, or you have any questions, reach out to staff at PanOhioInfo@cancer.org.