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"The ad leaped off the page at me," recalls Scott Quinn. "And when I read the rest of the type, I was hooked. For some reason this event touched me in such a way that I felt I had to get involved." The advertisement was for participants in GTE’s Big Ride across America, billed as the "largest bicycling event in American history." The thousand cyclists would ride 3,000 miles, from Seattle to Washington, D.C., starting on June 15, 1998, and finishing on August 1. Each rider would have to raise a minimum of $6,000 in donations to the American Lung Association in order to participate.
"I didn’t have a job; all my friends are dependent on their parents. It’s hard for someone like me to raise money because my friends can barely buy a beer and a slice of pizza --- which is what their spare money goes on, anyway." But Quinn was determined; by now he felt he had a mission. He had lost several relatives and close family friends to lung cancer --- now the number one cancer killer in the United States for both men and women and the third leading cause of death, claiming an estimated 335,000 lives a year. The Big Ride organizers expect it to raise about $8 million for the American Lung Association, and Quinn wanted to do his part.
It’s a lot of work. And as a senior film major, he has to "take care of my books, too," he says. "And I have to keep the fund-raising going. My days are crammed; the list is endless. I just tackle each day head-on and try to do as much as I can before I go to sleep." But, he adds, "I’m having fun. It wouldn’t be worth doing unless it was fun. Doing it with grace is key --- I’m really learning to sort things out, make time, and try to accomplish one goal at a time." He’s keeping his eye on his career goal at the same time he’s raising money and getting in shape: he’ll be mounting a still camera on his bicycle and documenting the trip. "I’ll ride and take pictures all across America. It’s a huge bonus," Quinn says, "to be able to combine so many interests --- cycling, raising money for a great cause, meeting people, seeing the country, and I hope doing some great work in my field. Maybe someone in the business will see my work and hire me!" --- M. S. Photos by Scott Quinn |
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Quinn,
a senior cinema and photography major, is an avid cyclist and
had played lacrosse for Ithaca as an underclassman. Even so,
he says, "When I first approached my parents with the idea,
they thought I was crazy" --- but not because they doubted
his athletic ability or commitment. " ‘You’ll
never raise six grand,’ they told me. ‘Nobody you know
has any money.’" That was true, Quinn admits.
He
asked Shelley Semmler, Ithaca College’s associate vice president
for college relations and resource development, for input on
how to go about raising money. She headed him in the right direction,
Quinn says. "The fund-raising is going very well,"
he reports, with just a touch of surprise. "I’ve received
pledges from family members, friends and associates of my relatives,
people in my hometown. I’ve got donations from my high school
teachers, former employers, close friends’ parents and their
employers. President Williams even sent a check."
On advice from development officer Mike McGreevey,
Quinn gave presentations to student organizations to raise awareness
of his mission on campus. The Student Government Association
raised $500 to donate to the ALA. "The students at SGA have
taken a lot of interest in what I’m trying to do, which
is great because these are not goals that I can accomplish without
help," Quinn says. "I’m very dependent on people
I know as well as those I don’t know" to help him.
Getting ready is a big job. Quinn’s
personal trainer is Matt Kinne ’98, a physical therapy major.
Kinne has a job at the Courtside Racquet & Fitness Club and
asked his employers to sponsor Quinn. They agreed and have given
the two men full access to their facilities. "I train five
or six days a week. I work out with Matt four days a week. On
the days I don’t train at the club, I ride," says Quinn.
"I’m in good shape --- but I need to be in excellent
shape."