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Our world lost a most valuable Peaceful Warrior on Saturday, June 13, 2009. Woody Woodward, one of the founding members of the Moving Violations Motorcycle Club. a member of the Motor Maids, Inc., BMW Owners of America and central member of the Women's Motorcyclist Foundation's all volunteer army of volunteers, passed peacefully in her sleep after a valiant battle against ovarian cancer.
The irony, as a Peaceful Warrior and volunteer staff member for the Women’s Motorcyclist Foundation, Woody was instrumental in helping to raise over 2.25 million dollars to fight breast cancer. Woody also worked tirelessly to raise funds and awareness around HIV and A.I.D.S. She was without question, the most colorful ride guard on the A.I.D.S. fund raising walks and bicycle rides in Boston and from Boston to New York where she encourage riders and walkers in her Xena: Warrior Princess, Wonder Woman or Pink Rabbit outfits.
Woody did so much for so many through her passion for life on two wheels that, the City of Boston, through its Mayor the honorable Thomas M. Menino declared June 7, 2008, Woody Woodward Day in Boston!
As a dual sport rider on Adventure for the Cures, Woody had already raised $2000.00 off line to serve as a member of the “Dirty Dozen.” She donated the use of her BMW F650GS for this effort and was also scheduled as a volunteer to work at the International Women and Motorcycling Conference in Keystone, CO August 19 – 22, 2009.
Woody put all of her most recent plans into place knowing full well that her treatment options were shrinking as the malignant tumors were growing, having metastasized into her abdomen long before. Despite the challenges Woody faced confronting the monster that is cancer, two weeks prior to her death she was telling us, “Well, I may not be able to ride every day or all of any day; but I’ll be there just the same.”
And so Woody will be there, just the same. She'll ride as a member of the “Dirty Dozen” on Adventures for the Cures – Ride to End Breast and Ovarian Cancers.
Long time friend, Peg Preble will be carrying some of Woody’s ashes and riding proxy for her revered friend. As the “Dirty Dozen” stops along the way to remember those we have lost, to honor those battling and to renew our pledge to help create a cancer free future, Peg will distribute a few of Woody’s ashes.
We hope you will honor Woody’s legacy by making a donation to the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation and the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation through this page.
Doing so will help to share the incredible legacy Woody has left us. Woody continues to challenge each of us to look beyond ourselves towards the greater good and to live life to the max. As Woody often shouted, at the beginning of ride day, usually at O’Dark Thirty, “I’m ALIVE, I’m AWAKE and I FEEL GREAT!”
Thank you Woody!
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