Contact:
Jason Merrill
314-286-0302
[email protected]
ST. LOUIS - More than a thousand cyclists will gather on October 8 and 9 to join Pedal the Cause, the first St. Louis-based annual bike ride to support local cancer research. Participants in Pedal the Cause will enjoy a downtown celebration Friday night and a Saturday cycling event through St. Louis.
All dollars raised will go to the Cancer Frontier Fund, an initiative of the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation to support research at the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine and the Children's Discovery Institute at St. Louis Children's Hospital.
The two-day event will kick off at 7 p.m., Friday, October 8 with an evening celebration for everyone involved. Riders, sponsors and volunteers can enjoy live entertainment, dinner and drinks at the Soldiers Memorial. The event will be an opportunity for all participants whose lives have been affected by cancer to learn about developing research from physicians with the Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine and St. Louis Children’s Hospital as well as listen to inspiring testimonials from cancer survivors.
"We feel strongly that cancer can be cured if we all work together as a community,” says Bill Koman, cancer survivor , CEO of Pedal the Cause and CEO of The Koman Group. “St. Louis has world class facilities and hospitals for cancer research, and it’s our intent to support their efforts in every way possible.”
At 8 a.m., on Saturday, October 9, the St. Louis community is invited to support the thousands of cyclists participating in the Pedal the Cause fundraising bike challenge event. The event features two moderate routes, 25 or 60 miles, which begin and end near the Soldiers Memorial, at 1315 Chestnut Street near the Gateway Arch. Along the routes, cyclists will enjoy some of St. Louis’s finest attractions such as Busch Stadium, Washington University and Forest Park. There will be water stops for spectators and cyclists, including one at Siteman's facility at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and for the longer course, a stop at the Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital at Mason and Olive in Creve Coeur.
The Ride for a Child Program through Pedal the Cause offers teams the opportunity to fundraise and ride on behalf of a cancer patient from St. Louis Children’s Hospital. The participating children and their families will be invited to take part in the festivities on both dates.
The Cancer Frontier Fund is currently supporting innovative clinical research at Siteman in the areas of melanoma vaccination, breast cancer vaccination, and improving outcomes for leukemia and esophageal cancer patients.
"The organizers of Pedal the Cause believe in the possibility of a world without cancer, says Angela Cobb, executive director of Pedal the Cause. “The St. Louis-based organization created the event to raise funds for cancer research and care outside the scope of federal funding. Pedal the Cause hopes to become the largest charitable fundraiser in a weekend event in St. Louis.”
To register for the cycling event or sign up as a volunteer, visit www.pedalthecause.org or call 314-787-1990. The event coordinators are looking for volunteers in the months leading up to the event, as well as for the October 8-10 weekend.