Valley bicyclists pedal 3,000 miles to benefit Boardman children’s hospital

By Harold Gwin

Donations will be accepted through July 1.

YOUNGSTOWN — “It’s definitely intense — the storms and the wind —but it is definitely worth it,” said Scott Finamore as he rode his bicycle down an incline in the mountains just west of Denver.

Finamore, 23, of Poland, and Sam Malaska, 19, of Youngstown, are making a cross-country bicycle trek that originated in Youngstown May 9 and is scheduled to end June 29 in San Francisco, a distance of some 3,000 miles.

“We’re just over halfway,” Finamore said, glancing down at his bicycle’s speedometer which registered 1,537 miles.

What started out as an adventure to visit a friend in California became a fund-raising effort on behalf of Akron Children’s Hospital of the Mahoning Valley in Boardman.

The goal is to raise $15,000 for the hospital’s charity program that provides medical care for children whose families can’t afford it.

Finamore chose to make a cell phone call to The Vindicator as he and Malaska began their descent from an elevation of 11,000 feet.

He was on a downhill grade passing 8,519 feet when he made the call.

“The elevation’s a killer,” he admitted, adding, “Everything we’ve done so far has been training for the mountains.”

And some of that first half of the route has been tough.

“We’re healthy, but you begin to feel it after cycling for 30 days,” Finamore said. “There’s times we don’t want to go anymore.”

But the thought of the kids and the charity they are helping keep them going, he said. Hearing from people who have been checking their www.califorkids.com website daily has been helpful too. They are always encouraging, he said.

They’re towing a small trailer carrying a tent and other gear but have encountered some 40-degree, rainy days as well as lightning storms that forced them to stay in hotels. There was even a June snowstorm west of Denver that hit overnight while they were camping.

Fund-raising hasn’t gone as well as hoped.

They’ve only raised about $6,000 so far, but there is a chance they might be able to link with a charitable group that will match their donations, Finamore said.

Donations will be accepted until July 1. All donations should be made out to “Cali for Kids” and mailed to P.O. Box 14098 Poland, OH 44514.

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.