YNHHS employees and physicians joined the ride, including hematologist Alexander Pine, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine.
Yale New Haven Health employees were well represented at the 15th annual Closer to Free (CTF) Ride Sept. 6, including a nurse who, with her young daughter, received special recognition.
Hunter Bouchard, RN, an oncology nurse at Smilow Cancer Hospital Guilford, and her daughter, Maddie, received the Mark Reitsma Closer to Free Courage Award. The award is named for the late Reitsma, the first cancer survivor speaker at the inaugural Closer to Free Ride.
Maddie, diagnosed with leukemia at 18 months old, was just finishing chemotherapy treatments in 2024 when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and, later, melanoma.
Hunter was among the more than 2,000 riders in this year’s Closer to Free. The in-person event covered routes of different lengths throughout Greater New Haven. Participants from throughout the U.S. and other countries did their own rides via the virtual CTF Ride.
Proceeds are still being tallied, but 100 percent of funds raised will go to Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center. Thank you to the riders, more than 600 volunteers and many supporters who helped make the event a huge success!
