Lake Placid Skate Event Raises $26K for Cancer Patients

When Michael DeYear needed cancer treatment beyond what was available locally, a small travel fund made all the difference between getting care and going broke trying.

The annual Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer event in Lake Placid brought together skaters, families, and Olympic medalists on February 21 at the James C. Sheffield Speed Skating Oval. This year's event raised $26,152 for the Merrill Oncology Travel Fund at Adirondack Health and the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation.

DeYear, the event's main speaker, knows firsthand why this fund matters. His cancer journey started at Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake but eventually required radiation in Plattsburgh and advanced treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.

The travel costs could have been crushing. Instead, the Merrill Oncology Travel Fund covered expenses so DeYear and his wife Janet could focus entirely on his recovery.

"Adirondack Health never hesitated to find the right team for me," DeYear told the crowd. "When I needed something beyond what was available locally, they made sure I got there."

DeYear has been cancer free since 2019. He credits not just the medical team but the support system that removed financial barriers to care.

Why This Inspires

Every year, cancer patients face an impossible choice between bankruptcy and treatment. Research shows that financial stress actually worsens health outcomes, making funds like this literal lifesavers.

The Sk8 to Elimin8 event shows what happens when a community decides no one should choose between their savings and their life. Families skating together on a winter morning became part of a safety net for neighbors they may never meet.

Olympic medalist Paul Wylie joined local health leaders to celebrate what grassroots fundraising can accomplish. The money raised will help patients access specialized treatments that might be hundreds of miles away but represent their best shot at survival.

For DeYear, the impact goes beyond dollars. "Through it all, the oncology team at Adirondack Health was our constant," he said. "I'm grateful because support like the Merrill Oncology Center Travel Fund gives people access to the care they need."

The fund removes one of cancer's cruelest burdens: the distance between a patient and the expertise that could save them.