Teen Rides 100 Miles to Raise Money to Fight Skin Cancer

Luke Grieco, 14, a rising sophomore at took a challenge on Sunday, Aug. 7. He rode his bicycle 100 miles from the Wantagh train station to East Hampton High School.

Grieco was participating in the inaugural Pan-Long Island Challenge charity bike ride to raise money to defeat skin cancer and other serious forms of skin disease. The money raised goes to The American Skin Association.

“I saw an ad in the paper,” said the teen who rides his bike around the neighborhood but never rode long distances before. “I thought it would be something that would be fun and a challenge. I thought, ‘why not?’”

Grieco had only two weeks to train. A family friend who does triathlons lent Grieco his racing bike and helped him train. He took Grieco out for 25 mile rides. He told him what to wear and how to prepare for the 100 mile ride.

“I went out on the service road [for the LIE] and would ride all the way to exit 45 – that’s a 25 mile ride,” Grieco said.

Grieco’s dad Joseph rode drove behind him in a car for the 100 mile challenge. He encouraged him every step of the way, at times having his mother on his cell phone, and giving him water and food along the route.

“The toughest part of the ride was the last 20-25 miles,” Grieco said. “I got really tired and definitely could not wait to get off the bike.”

There were only five people on the ride that 16 or 17 signed up for said founder and director Edward Diller.

“The weather played a role,” Diller said. “It was raining at 6am when we started and there were calls for heavy rain and thunderstorms.”

“It was a challenge getting stuck in really bad weather,” Grieco said. “But it wasn’t that bad compared to riding later on in the hot sun.”

Diller founded the ride because he is an avid bike rider, he said.

“I’ve done a lot of charity bike rides up in Massachusetts,” Diller said. “I thought why not do it on Long Island where I live. Riding 100 miles is quite a challenge. I want to attract people who are willing to put themselves out to do this. I want them to feel like they will come back next year and do this.”

For Grieco that is something he definitely wants to do.

“I plan on doing this next year,” said Grieco who comes from an athletic family. His mother was an all American athlete in college. “If I hear about anything else I will do that too. I’m buying my own [racing] bike. My dad’s thinking about getting one too so we can do this together.”

The riders in the challenge are encouraged to fundraise as well. The ride has already raised close to $10,000 Diller said. Riders will be raising money until mid-September.

If you’re interested in donating go to panlic.org.