Friends and family dodged raindrops and then beat the summer heat on Saturday, June 16 at the 11th annual Chad Smith Ride for Life Fundraiser, held at Ditto’s Bar in St. Michael.
This year’s event brought in a grand total of more than $62,000, which was split between a pair of honorees – Steve Kasper and Marla Gmach. Both Kasper and Gmach are in the middle of their fight against the disease that claimed the ride’s namesake – Chad Smith – about a decade ago.
The 11th edition of the Ride was certainly the soggiest, organizers said. Rain delayed the start of the ride by an hour, and dropped more than an inch of rain on those who braved the elements on Saturday morning and ran in the 2nd annual Chad Smith RUN for Life 5K.
Marla is wife to Gene, mother of three children and a grandmother of eight grandchildren. In December 2017, Marla was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer that metastasized to her lungs and abdomen. Steve is a son, brother, uncle, and a employee of the STMA school district. Steve was diagnosed with rectal cancer in August of 2017 and will be in treatment throughout the summer.
Check out the video below or visit the Ride’s Facebook Page for a few highlights from this year’s event: