GRIT Cycle honors John Wayne with cancer fundraiser
John Wayne needs no introduction.
The beloved actor who was at his best playing archetypal tough guys would have been 108 on May 26. Thirty-six years after his passing from stomach cancer, his family, friends and community are honoring his memory with the John Wayne Cancer Foundation, a Newport Beach-based organization funding research, awareness and programs that improve cancer patients’ outcomes.
Today, Marisa Wayne, one of the primary caretakers of her father’s legacy, is helping to carry on his fight against cancer. She is the youngest of three children her father had with his wife Pilar. Her siblings include Aissa and Ethan, who serves as director of the John Wayne Cancer Foundation.
Wayne, a Newport Beach resident and an owner of GRIT Cycle in Costa Mesa, is planning to kick off her boots and slip into cycling shoes to host a second annual charity ride to raise money for the John Wayne Cancer Foundation.
“I always wanted to give back,” Wayne said Friday morning, on the business’ shaded patio where a horseshoe hangs above barn doors. “I wanted to do a marathon ride to raise money for cancer research.”
So she hatched GRIT Cycle’s inaugural Gritty Up charity ride for the John Wayne Foundation. The idea was to raise money while burning calories at a spinning event, where cyclists were offered the chance to give back and do some serious indoor training.
She initially set an ambitious goal, hoping to raise $107,000, in honor of John Wayne’s 107th birthday that May, but over a monthlong effort, the spin center and the community surpassed that number, raising over $200,000.
“Last year went beyond my expectations,” Wayne said, noting that once people heard of the cause, they immediately wanted to donate to the silent auction and bikes sold out in 10 hours.
That enthusiasm and passion from the community, she said, ignited her desire to host a second Gritty Up ride this year, on May 30. People may reserve a Schwinn stationary bicycle during a three-hour fundraiser cycle ride.
Participants and teams are asked to raise at least $2,500 to join the ride led by Wayne and fellow GRIT instructors Matt Bourne, Dani Wallbrock-Gallinger and others. Riders can switch off with teammates, making the event available to beginners and advanced spin enthusiasts.
Individual participants can begin to secure a bike for $200 and riders are allowed to cycle for three hours or form teams to take turns. As participants cycle, they will listen to motivating music in a darkened, non-competitive environment where riders can pedal at their own pace.
The cyclist who raises the most money will be awarded a trip to Fiji provided by Fiji Vacations.
In addition to the workout, GRIT Cycle will host a kick-off event with a silent auction and party the evening prior to the ride, May 29 at Oak Grill at the Island Hotel.
“It’s not competitive here,” Wayne said. “We ride as a group and people come here to support each other.”
Last year, Isabel Mattson-Pain, who helped her team raise $5,000, rode for her son Alexander, who had leukemia but has been cancer-free for more than two years.
Pain, who first learned of GRIT Cycle through a colleague at Roth Capital Partners in Newport Beach, said she wanted to return this year to help the charity by arranging silent auction items that include weekend night stays at Montage Laguna Beach, St. Regis and Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa.
She said since spinning over a year ago at GRIT Cycle, she has found a special workout where she feels encouraged by fellow riders.
“It’s a place for [me] to recharge and cherish what I have in my life,” said Pain. “I’m happy to raise awareness for the John Wayne Foundation and get the word out to bring some help to others.”
Celebrating her father’s life and legacy brings back memories and the lessons he taught her that she is sharing with her two children, like respecting others.
“There was no back talk,” Wayne said. “He was always very gracious.”
The event honoring him is a way for Wayne to bring his mentality of courage, strength and grit to the fight against cancer.
“So many people were touched and affected by this fundraiser,” said Wayne, who rode for her father and sister Toni last year. “I look forward to the day when there is a cure for cancer.”
If You Go
What: Gritty Up benefiting John Wayne Cancer Foundation
When: 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 30
Where: GRIT Cycle, 1731 Santa Ana Ave., Costa Mesa
Cost: Individuals and teams are asked to raise $2,500.
For more information or to register for Gritty Up, visit gritcycle.com