The Ride Spotlight

Spotlight: Jim & Nancy Reck

Couple Contributes to UW Cancer Research Through Volunteer Work

June 13th, 2021  |  Rob Kelly

Jim Reck, a retired marketing director for St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay, never used the word “cured” when referring to patients treated for cancer. “There was no cure. We were told to say that a patient was successfully treated for cancer,” he says. With advances in treatment, more cancer patients are living long, healthy lives. But doctors are still reluctant to say a patient is cured—that the cancer is completely gone and will never come back. With University of Wisconsin cancer research funded by The Ride, Reck hopes that will change.

Jim and his wife, Nancy, volunteer for The Ride. Nancy began doing gear check in 2018, and Jim joined her the following year. They enjoy supporting cancer research at their alma mater, being part of a well-run event, and interacting with participants and other volunteers.

“When I volunteered the first year, I was very impressed that one of the UW researchers was volunteering as well,” Nancy says. “I thought, ‘My goodness, she’s an important person, and she’s volunteering too.’”

Nancy is also inspired by patients who participate in The Ride. “When you meet all these people who are doing what they can even though they’re in the midst of a major battle, it helps you realize how many good people there are in the world,” she says.

Since they began volunteering, The Ride has taken on greater significance as friends and family members have been diagnosed with cancer. “I don’t know if this is simply because we’re getting older or what the cause may be, but it’s all around us,” Jim says. “With all the funds from The Ride going directly toward the high-level research at UW Carbone Cancer Center, hopefully it will help these people dealing with cancer.”

The Ride has powered over $1.3M since 2016 through the support and foundation of its event volunteers. For more information on how groups and individuals can participate in The Ride, visit badgerchallenge.org/Volunteer.

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