The Ride for Roswell kicks off this weekend, and thousands of people have been busy fundraising for the event for the past several months. The top fundraiser though, went above and beyond many others. John Conciardo is that top fundraiser… and he has been for the past seven years.
“I believe that your level and position in Heaven is based on your generosity on earth,” Conciardo said. “And I also know that there’s only one thing you can take with you when you die, and that’s what you’ve given away.”
When you meet Conciardo, he might hand you a business card. He’s the sales director at West Herr Automotive Group. On the back of that business card, is a link to his Ride for Roswell fundraising page.
“This company is all about philanthropy,” he said.
You could say Conciardo lives for this. He’ll tell you others are alive because of the cancer institute in our backyard. That includes his twin sister, and his older brother. Both his siblings beat lung cancer. His mother, though passed away of the disease at age 58. John was just 20 years old when he lost her. He tells News 4, she didn’t go to Roswell for treatment.
“At the end, we went to Roswell,” he said. “Roswell back then isn’t wasn’t what it is today and they told her, ‘had you come here sooner, we would have taken out one of your lungs. We would have given you an oxygen tank and you would’ve lived to a nice ripe old age.’ But again, it was too late, so mom died of lung cancer at age 58.”
Today is John’s birthday.
And what better way to celebrate than knowing you raised about $100,000 for the Ride for Roswell just this year alone.
And, yes, he’s raised it all through emails and phone calls.
“I’m persistent,” he said.
To date, John Conciardo has raised more than $600,000 for the Ride for Roswell. He tells News 4, West Herr, as a whole, typically raises around $300,000 each year. He was recently honored at Roswell for his contributions.
“When it comes to fundraising, I truly feel like it’s my duty and privilege to do it,” he said at that ceremony.
