SOMEONE YOU SHOULD KNOW
Williamsville resident has ties to Roswell Park
by PATRICK J. NAGY

John Hannon

Williamsville resident John Hannon was destined to become an integral part of the Ride for Roswell.

One of five co-chairs for this year's Ride for Roswell, Hannon, a skin cancer survivor, originally became involved in 1996 when a group of residents on his street rode for Michael Augustyn, a boy who died from pediatric cancer. Hannon, an avid bike rider himself, has ridden for "Michael's Angels" until last year when he biked for DuPont, where he works as a senior research associate.

"Michael's Angels" is one of the longest-standing groups to take part in the Ride for Roswell.

This year's Ride for Roswell is slated for Saturday, June 28 with a starting location at the University at Buffalo's Amherst campus. The ride raises money to benefit cancer research and patient care. In 2007, 5,000 riders took part and raised $1.7 million. This year's goal is 6,200 riders and $2 million.

There will be a ride orientation for new riders from 6 to 7 p.m. at UB North Campus, Capen Room 10 on Thursday, Feb. 21. The Ride for Roswell Kick-off will be held from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11 at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Elm and Carlton Streets, Buffalo.

Since becoming involved with Ride for Roswell, Hannon has become one of the ride's top 15 fundraisers, bringing in between $20,000 and $30,000. He has raised approximately $6,000 per year over the last three years by getting donations from across the country. The donations came from family members but also friends he has made while leading bike tours. Hannon became a certified adventure cycling leader five years ago.

"It just amazes me how many people want to support something that you believe in," said Hannon. "I've literally met people in chairlifts in Utah, and every year those guys send a check because they know it's me and it's something I believe in."

Hannon said the training to become an adventure cycling leader has been helpful in his role over the last three years as logistics chair for the Ride for Roswell. As logistics chair, Hannon works with police and fire companies, emergency medical technicians and 50 ham radio operators to make sure the route for the ride is safe.

"Being logistics chair falls under the safety interest that I have," said Hannon.

Safety was also the cornerstone for Hannon in helping create the Lion's Den state-of-the-art activity playroom for children and teens on the sixth floor of Roswell Park's Pediatric Center. The playroom was unveiled on Nov. 13. DuPont, Carly's Club, the Buffalo Sabres and Microsoft are among the sponsors of the room.

The 15-by-30-foot playroom has four personal computers, a video conference pod, three XBox 360 stations, and a Windows media center with a flat-panel TV.

"It's a place for kids who are sick to forget about being sick," said Hannon.

The walls in the room have bright colors and are made of Corian, a nonporous, hygienic material made by DuPont that prevents the risk of infection to patients and cleans easily. Hannon's job as senior research associate at DuPont is to research and develop new products made out of Corian and to work on projects in the construction phase of new applications of Corian.

Hannon teamed up with former Buffalo Sabre Pat LaFontaine on the Lion's Den project. Hannon, a former Amherst Youth Hockey coach, met LaFontaine in the early 1990s when La- Fontaine was befriending the brother of a player on one of Hannon's teams who was at Roswell. LaFontaine has opened other Lion's Dens at other hospitals in the state through his Companions in Courage Foundations. Hannon said DuPont will be sponsoring 16 of these types of rooms across the country with LaFontaine as a national sponsor.

Hannon is also on the Roswell Park Alliance Community Advisory Board since 2005. The board is a group of volunteers from the community who meet monthly to sponsor fundraising events to help Roswell Park patients and research programs.

Hannon has always liked riding and working on bikes. He started taking extended bike trips when he was 12. In 1975, he biked across the country.

Besides bike riding, Hannon's hobbies include skiing, camping and water skiing. He's also just finished two three-year terms on the church council at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Williamsville. There he assisted the pastors in running the church.

Hannon has a wife, Kathy, and two sons, Steve and Scott. For more information about the Ride for Roswell, visit www. rideforroswell. org.