John Majeski, Chris Dudick and twin brothers Jeremy and Jason Julio, a group of friends from Monmouth County, are always up for a challenge. Four years ago, they paddle-boarded, standing up, 30 miles from Oceanport on the Shrewsbury River to Battery Park in Manhattan. The following year, they rowed a lifeguard boat 135 miles up the coast of New Jersey. This year, the friends raised nearly $40,000 for Tackle Kids Cancer by biking the length of New Jersey – 216 miles from Port Jervis, NY to the Garden State’s southern tip in Cape May – in one day.
The friends completed the trip in about 17 hours on Monday, June 17 and pedaled for more than 13 hours during their trip. The team took off at 5 a.m. on the day of their big ride, and had little problems tackling the state’s hilly Highlands. There were a few flat tires, but the hardest part of the journey came a little more than halfway through – cycling the flat roads through scorching midday temperatures in the Pine Barrens.
Luckily, Team Majeski was met by cooling ocean breezes upon their evening arrival in Cape May, where they posed for a photo under the beacon of the lighthouse.
“It was a great way to finish!” says John. “We took on the challenge of an arduous 210-mile, single-day bike ride to bring awareness to pediatric cancer. We chose Tackle Kids Cancer because 100% of the money that we raise would go directly to pediatric cancer research and the families of those affected.”
Team Majeski proudly exceeded their fundraising goal by a third, garnering nearly $20,000 to support pediatric cancer research and patient care programs through Tackle Kids Cancer, a philanthropic initiative to raise much-needed funds for the Children’s Cancer Institute at Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health.
As part of Eli’s Challenge, the total will be matched by former NFL Quarterback Eli Manning, doubling support to $40,000. For nine years, Eli’s Challenge has helped raise millions of dollars to fund research and innovative patient care programs at the Children’s Cancer Institute. All gifts made through Eli’s Challenge have double the impact with a matching gift from Eli, up to $200,000.
“If somebody wants to donate they get a lot of bang for their buck, the money goes a long way with the match,” said John, who owns SERVPRO franchises in Monmouth, Bergen and Hudson counties.
The members of Team Majeski attend the same gym in Little Silver and trained by logging up to 150 miles on their bicycles on weekends in the months leading up to the ride.
“We took on the challenge of an arduous 210-mile, single-day bike ride to bring awareness to pediatric cancer. We chose Tackle Kids Cancer because 100% of the money that we raise would go directly to pediatric cancer research and the families of those affected,” said John.
We congratulate Team Majeski on this tremendous achievement, and appreciate all they have done to support Tackle Kids Cancer!
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