Six-hundred and thirty miles is a long way to go on a bicycle in just 10 days, but Nick Pancoast is doing it to help children fight cancer.
Pancoast, a former employee of the Holiday Inn in Salem who now works for another hotel owned by the same management group, is hoping to raise $25,000 biking across New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts.
The money will go to Vermont Children's Hospital at Fletcher Allen Health Care, the Pediatric Cancer Program at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer Center and to patient care at Children's Hospital Boston.
The ride was inspired by Pancoast's mother, Patricia Anderson, and Mary Gistis, the wife of Linchris Hotel Corporations' chief financial officer, who died of cancer.
"It kind of stirred something within me that said, 'I want to do something,'" Pancoast said.
So, he decided to combine his desire to help with his love of bicycling. He then set about trying to decide who his fundraiser should benefit.
"We ended up saying, 'You know, why not kids?'" he said. "Kids don't always understand what's going on to them, unlike adults."
Pancoast is the general manager for the Hampton Inn Boston Logan Airport and the area director of operations for The Linchris Hotel Corporation, which owns 22 hotels across New England. Pancoast is going to visit them all — and the three children's hospitals — during his 10-day charity ride.
"I've gotten great support from my company, and they've gotten behind me 100 percent," Pancoast said.
The company's local hotels all donated weekend packages, and anyone donating $5 or more will be entered to win prizes ranging from a weekend ski trip to Vermont to a week's worth of free parking at a hotel near Logan Airport. Locally, the Salem Holiday Inn is giving away a 2011 weekend stay with passes to Canobie Lake Park.
"Nick has a heart of gold," said Molly Mulholland, general manager of the Holiday Inn in Salem. "He cares."
Mulholland said Linchris Hotel Corp. is going to donate the amount of Pancoast's daily pay for each day he is on the ride.
Pancoast's sister, Judy Pancoast, a popular family entertainer, will perform a concert at each of the three hospitals. But while he's riding his bike, he will mostly be on his own.
"I've got someone who's going to bring my bag from hotel to hotel," he said. "I've got a little bit of a support network. But pretty much, I'm on my own."
Pancoast will kick off his ride Thursday, heading from Littleton to St. Johnsbury, Vt. The longest stretch will be from Colchester to Rutland, Vt., about 102 miles, he said. The trip will end in Provincetown, 630 miles and $25,000 - Pancoast hopes- from the start.
"I guess my feeling is, it's kind of our responsibility to do things for people who are less fortunate," he said.
To follow Pancoast's blog during his ride, or to donate, visit nicksrideforkids.com.
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