By Ariyana Griffin
AFRO Staff Writer
agriffin@afro.com
The third annual Cancer Awareness Ride, led by renowned Philadelphia rapper Freeway, will take place in Baltimore on Oct. 27 at 1:30 p.m. at Druid Hill Park.
PHOTO: Photo courtesy of Nakeela Taylor
What initially began in 2022 as a motorcycle ride in Philadelphia as a way to raise awareness and honor Freeway’s daughter, who passed away due to cancer at a young age, has now blossomed into an annual event that unites families, survivors, supporters and current patients.
Nakeela “Ms. Want” Taylor shared that the idea, impact and event have continued to grow.
“We teamed up, just doing a ride to bring awareness,” she said. “We’d have guest speakers speak and just try to raise awareness for it. It’s just grown.”
Living in Baltimore, she shared she wanted to change things up and “bring it home.” This led to the event being hosted in Baltimore for the first time.
Taylor has underscored the significance of community-centric events, emphasizing that each individual’s involvement is integral and significant.
“What I’ve found out from doing the ride over the last few years is that we have plenty of people who ride with us are going through it, and they’ve been going through it by themselves,” she said.
She shared that since starting the ride, she has encountered people who were nervous to talk about their stories.
“Raising awareness and having people give their own stories has been an inspiration and motivation to some,” she said.
The annual ride is not limited to a specific type of cancer; it is a platform that promotes awareness and community for every form of cancer, ensuring that everyone feels welcomed and valued.
The event will kick off at 1:30 p.m. with a live performance from the Baltimore Twilighters Marching Band. Shortly after, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from cancer survivors and City Council President Nick Mosby. Freeway is bringing some of his celebrity friends to Charm City for closing remarks before beginning the ride at 2:30 p.m.
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