LYNN — At least three prominent members of the Lynn community will be biking 30 miles together for a good cause on Monday afternoon.
Avid bikers Mayor Thomas M. McGee and Dr. John F. Dolan, head of St. Mary’s School, will be joined by George Markos, owner of Brothers Deli, for their virtual Tour De Fox bike ride, a fundraiser for Parkinson’s research.
Dolan, who organized the ride, hopes his friend, Superintendent of the Lynn Public Schools Dr. Patrick Tutwiler, will join the ride as well, which benefits the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
“He’s worried about riding with McGee,” Dolan said of Tutwiler, while comparing the mayor’s cycling prowess to that of Lance Armstrong.
Since Tutwiler, a former basketball player at the College of the Holy Cross is an athlete in his own right, Dolan is confident that he’ll change his mind.
“I think once Patrick gets on the bike, I think those competitive juices — he’ll stay with us the rest of the day,” said Dolan.
Dolan may have his work cut out for him, in terms of expanding their biking trio. Tutwiler said he will be there for the kickoff on Monday, but probably won’t ride.
For Dolan, the event is an opportunity for him to support his brother, Mark, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease three years ago and recently celebrated his 60th birthday.
Parkinson’s is a brain disorder that leads to shaking, stiffness and difficulty with walking, balance, and coordination. Symptoms usually begin gradually and get worse over time, according to the National Institute on Aging.
Mark Dolan was diagnosed shortly after achieving his career dream of being named the CEO of Goodman Manufacturing in Houston, Texas, which Dolan said is considered the largest U.S. manufacturer of air conditioning units.
After Mark’s diagnosis, the company’s board bought him out, which resulted in Mark’s retirement, said Dolan, noting that his brother is still physically active.
“This is kind of my tribute to Mark and I get to do it with three guys I admire and want to spend time with so for me the whole thing worked out great,” said Dolan.
Dolan said he rides his bike to work every day in the summer, which is about 25-30 miles from his East Boston home, but still anticipates that it will be tough for him to keep up with McGee.
“He’s the veteran experienced rider,” said Dolan. “He’s going to be leading the pack.”
The group will be kicking off their ride from McGee’s house at about 4 p.m. Monday, and will be following a 30-mile route that extends to Marblehead Neck, Lynn Shore Drive, Nahant and then back to their starting point.
For McGee, the Tour De Fox will be his second fundraising bike ride in the past month. He rode the Pan-Mass Challenge at the end of July, logging 170 miles over a three-day span.
Much like the group will be doing on Monday, McGee participated in that virtual event by tracking his mileage on a cellphone app.
Like Dolan, McGee will be riding to honor a family member who battled Parkinson’s disease. His mother, Ann McGee, died in 2013 after a 12-year battle with the disease. She was 88.
“I was going to ride with them anyway, but this is a pretty special opportunity to highlight Parkinson’s research and honor my mum who dealt with Parkinson’s for a lot of years,” said McGee. “My mother will be traveling with me when I’m riding.”
The final member of the group, Markos, is known for giving back to the community, particularly through his efforts on Thanksgiving. Each year, Markos serves about 1,000 free turkey dinners at Brothers Deli.
Each morning when Dolan rides into Lynn for work, he stops at Brothers Deli first for breakfast and chats with Markos. For a while now, their banter has revolved around figuring out a way that they could ride together.
When the Tour De Fox presented itself, both jumped at the opportunity.
“I like to be part of anything that can help to show support to the people that are going through this terrible disease,” said Markos. “Support is a big thing for people. When people get support, they can fight any disease.”
With his hectic work schedule, Markos said he does not have much of an opportunity to ride his bike, but when he does, he rides about eight to 15 miles a day. He’s run races before, but this will be his first time biking in an event.
“I’m not going into it nervous,” said Markos. “I’m looking forward to it. It will be a good experience and event for helping others.”
Dolan anticipates their group will raise between $500-$1,000. One hundred percent of the proceeds raised in this year’s Tour De Fox will go directly to the Michael J. Fox Foundation’s high-impact programs to speed better treatments and a cure for Parkinson’s disease.