By The retro-rerun was a fundraiser with all proceeds going toward ThinkCure! and The Life Ride, which benefit cancer research at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and City of Hope.
“I came across a bicycle magazine with an advertisement,” said Cliff Ratkovich, organizer and team captain of five-man peloton called the Men of Steel. “It’s a two-day event where we’re all going to ride 135 miles and climb 8,000 feet.”
The Life Ride takes place in March; riders peddle through vineyards and on country roads along the Pacific Ocean in Solvang and the Santa Ynez Valley just north of Santa Barbara. Ratkovich said that Lance Armstrong would train on the same trail for the Tour de France.
“To put that into perspective, collectively between us riders we will ride the equivalent of two Mount Everests in only two days,” said Ratkovich. “It’s going to be fun.”
The actual ride will mark a year since Ratkovich was diagnosed with bladder cancer.
“It caught me totally by surprise,” Ratkovich said. “I spent all of last year in surgery and chemo and came out the back end just fine. So, to me, this has special importance.”
As a group, Ratkovich said that they hope to raise $25,000 altogether.
“I wanted, for one, to ride on the ride to celebrate, and then two, to ride for a cause, to raise money for cancer research,” Ratkovich said.
Jan van Disj, owner of the Art Theater of Long Beach, will take part in The Life Ride alongside Ratkovich. The revamped, art-deco playhouse is ran by Van Disj as a non-profit in addition to being recognized as an independent movie house and a staple of Long Beach’s East Village Art District.
“As a non-profit organization, you receive donations from all over,” said Van Disj. “There’s an inherent sense to give back.”
Van Disj said that he utilizes the theater for fundraising three to five times a month for an array of causes.
Being a regular cyclist, he said that he is excited for the ride and can’t wait to honor his tight-knit community with exceptional regards to friends who have been hit with the big C.
“There’s a group of us guys here who are cyclists and cancer has touched the lives of many of us this last year,” Van Disj said. “It’s going to be great to give back as well as ride alongside some of them while doing that.”
Below the vibrant marquee, the front patio filled with friends of the cyclists as well as members of the community and supporters of the cause, duking it out in silent auctions and dropping red tickets in buckets for the raffle. Prizes included a Laguna Beach surf bungalow daycation, four VIP tickets to the Ellen show and a shiny new street bike, suiting the occasion and several double-takes.
Also, some arrived just to see the movie.
“When I was the age of the main character I was trying to be just like him,” said Michael Marshall from Long Beach, now in his mid-20s. “I ride everyday now. It inspired a lot of people to start riding their bikes.”
This was the Men of Steel’s first charity event since signing up for The Life Ride in Nov.
“Cycling spoke to our hearts. Cancer research spoke to our hearts,” Ratkovich said. “So we just started connecting all of those dots.”
