Falls Church Man Rides with Armstrong to Battle Cancer

Team L'Chaim: James Latoff, Steve Schooner, Craig Cummings, and Stoddie Nibley.

By STAN FENDLEY
Falls Church Times Staff

Falls Church resident Steve Schooner received a nice honor last weekend for his fundraising work for bicycling legend Lance Armstrong’s LiveSTRONG Foundation.  He was asked to ride in a small group with Armstrong, world champion track cyclist Taylor Phinney, and other elite cyclists through the streets of Austin, Tex.  It was all a part of the LiveSTRONG Challenge bike event, Armstrong’s primary fundraising effort for battling cancer.

Schooner and his teammates James Latoff, Craig Cummings, and Stoddie Nibley raised over $35,000 for LiveSTRONG as part of the event.  The four DC-area riders, called “Team L’Chaim” (the Hebrew toast: “to Life”), joined 6,000 other riders  and runners blanketing Austin and the Texas Hill Country for the weekend.  Even people currently battling cancer participated by taking their turn on stationary bikes.  The weekend event was staffed by 900 volunteers.

“Lance Armstrong made the most of his life-threatening cancer experience,” Schooner said. “He has organized an outstanding team to run his LiveSTRONG Foundation, they’ve raised staggering sums of money to further research, provide services for people battling and recovering from cancer, and they’ve raised the level of advocacy for cancer research in this country and around the world.”

Schooner had a special motivation for the event.  He, his parents, his sister, and his father-in-law have all fought cancer.  Breast cancer and, later, secondary bone cancer took his mother.  His sister fought multiple bouts with breast cancer.  Schooner himself survived testicular cancer.  He considers himself the lucky one.  His father-in-law died of lymphoma.  Now his father is battling pancreatic cancer.

Similarly, Schooner’s teammate Craig Cummings had his own reason participating.  His wife, Lawton, just finished chemotherapy treatment in her own battle against breast cancer.   “I didn’t appreciate how many lives cancer has affected until we began this journey,” Craig Cummings said.

“I am immensely grateful for all the support our friends and family provided,” Schooner said, “both financial and emotional.  The support was not only for the ride, but also for my dad.  And I can’t thank my teammates enough.  Craig, Lawton, Stoddie, James and James’ wife, Ruth – we all put a lot of effort into raising money for the fight.  Hopefully we made a difference.”

One local supporter was Northern Virginia bike shop Spokes, Etc., which donated a bike for Schooner to raffle as part of his fundraising efforts.

Asked what he thought of Armstrong’s organization, Schooner said, “I’m in awe of it, and the people who run it.  They marshalled 900 volunteers for the weekend – that’s incredible.  I’m even more committed to LiveSTRONG now.  They do great work.”

Schooner noted that donations can still be made to the effort.

“I know there’s somebody out there who wanted to give but didn’t get the chance!” he said enthusiastically.  “Their contribution will be gratefully accepted!”