100-mile ruck march becoming local tradition with third year its biggest yet

Veer Mudambi, Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Why Me kid Samantha Dube, 17, of Oakham snuggles under a blanket at the Barre Falls Dam aid station in Hubbardston as she and her sister, Allyson, 19, wait for their mother, Holly, who was rucking for the 100 Mile Ruck March Charity Challenge for Why Me & Sherry's House.
Why Me kid Samantha Dube, 17, of Oakham snuggles under a blanket at the Barre Falls Dam aid station in Hubbardston as she and her sister, Allyson, 19, wait for their mother, Holly, who was rucking for the 100 Mile Ruck March Charity Challenge for Why Me & Sherry's House.

WORCESTER - The third annual Ruck March Challenge kicked off Thursday, with 50 participants setting out from Sherry's House in Worcester for a four-day 100-mile round-trip hike.

The event raises money for both Sherry's House and the Worcester childhood cancer center Why Me, and was started by Worcester resident Rick Porter, based on the military exercise of traveling while carrying a rucksack, hence the name.

Through Sunday, ruckers will cover about 25 miles per day, rain or shine, camping out each night at participating breweries along the way. The breweries will then host outdoor parties complete with DJs, dunk tanks, food and beer.

Anyone is welcome to join the brewery parties and cheer on the ruckers, which will be held at Stone Cow Brewery July 21 in Barre and Oakham Brewing July 22 in Brookfield from 5 to 8 p.m. A finish line celebration will also take place July 23 at Sherry's House at noon.

Ruckers, from left, Jessica Bridge of Shrewsbury, Dave Smith of Worcester and Jason Lyons of Plainfield, Conn., head back out on the trail from the Barre Falls Dam aid station in Hubbardston.
Ruckers, from left, Jessica Bridge of Shrewsbury, Dave Smith of Worcester and Jason Lyons of Plainfield, Conn., head back out on the trail from the Barre Falls Dam aid station in Hubbardston.

The first 100-Mile Ruck March Challenge took place in July 2021 as a way to hold a large cancer fundraising event while remaining COVID-safe. Participation has had a strong upward trend over the last three years, with the first having an attendance of 15, the second being more than double that, with this year being the largest group yet.

Toby Belton of Gardner, left, and Dillan Skamarycz of Westminster arrive at the Barre Falls Dam in Hubbardston.
Toby Belton of Gardner, left, and Dillan Skamarycz of Westminster arrive at the Barre Falls Dam in Hubbardston.

Rebecca Kuczarski, executive director of Why Me, said the fundraising goal this year is $250,000. "Compared to the first year's goal (of $50,000) that's quite a leap," she said.

Started in 1985 by 13-year-old Sherry Shepard, Why Me is a Worcester-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting families coming to the region for pediatric cancer treatment. The name stands for Worcester Help for Youth, Memories Everlasting. Sherry's House on Pleasant Street provides a place for families to stay while a child is receiving treatment in the area.

Barre Falls Dam aid station volunteer Dan Giza of Worcester high-fives ruckers as they arrive.
Barre Falls Dam aid station volunteer Dan Giza of Worcester high-fives ruckers as they arrive.

The additional resources generated by the Ruck March Challenge "has been essential for us to reach out to more and more families and help them," said Kuczarski. Support can take the form of rent assistance, vehicle insurance payments or food, whether through grocery cards or directly from the organization's food pantry.

She pointed to new programs such as playground pickups, where the children too young for summer camp programs can come to the Sherry's House playground, a direct result of the Ruck March funding. "We weren’t able to do things like that before."

Donations are accepted during the event in support of an athlete and can be given through the Why Me website.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Ruck March Challenge for Sherry's House and Why Me steps off

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