A LETTER FROM LARA
Have You Ever Seen the Rain?
By Lara A. Kalafatis
Photo: Stephen Travarca
As the rain fell relentlessly during the VeloSano Bike to Cure Kickoff Party, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed.
Serpil Erzurum, MD, Cleveland Clinic’s Chief Research and Academic Officer, does her best to stay dry, with a little help from VeloSano Executive Director Nicole Peters.
The conditions in Cleveland on that Friday night in September were less than ideal. It was wet and windy, so much so that the average person wouldn’t have thought twice about staying home. Yet there we were — thousands of us in ponchos and slickers, huddled under umbrellas. People of all ages showed up. Not for ourselves, but for something much bigger.
If anything, the inclement weather made the experience even more profound. It’s one thing to gather on a bright, sunny day. But as we came together, drenched yet determined, it was a powerful reminder of what makes this community so special. Everyone was there because cancer has touched their lives, and that common bond was stronger than any downpour.
In memory of Carli Kantra, who passed away from a rare brain cancer in 2023, her family and friends rode in Bike to Cure.
At one point, I noticed a couple of people sitting in a corner of a tent. I went over to them, curious to hear their story. As we started talking, one woman shared that she had lost her daughter Carli to a brain tumor. I realized this must be the same Carli whose grandfather had coincidentally bumped into one of my colleagues earlier that day on the other side of town. By chance — or was it fate? — Carli’s mother and I found ourselves sharing stories about her daughter’s journey.
That’s the thing about Bike to Cure, now in its 11th year. It’s more than a fundraiser. It’s a way to honor those we’ve lost as well as everyone who is still fighting.
Rain? What rain? VeloSano founder Stewart Kohl, center, is all smiles.
During the program, we paused to remember two brilliant Cleveland Clinic researchers who recently passed away: Charis Eng, MD, PhD, and Mike Kattan, PhD. Their unshakable dedication to lifesaving discoveries lives on though VeloSano, our global initiative to support leading-edge cancer research.
A doctor who rode in Bike to Cure told me something in passing that stuck with me. “I see what my patients go through every day,” he said. “I can stand to get a little wet and to be a little cold.” Everywhere you looked, you saw young and old riders alike and their supporters, ready to push through, come what may. You saw hope. You saw purpose. You saw strength. Above all, you saw resilience.
Yes, the rain was relentless. But not as relentless as all of us.