Local man rides 1,600 miles to fund kids’ cancer research
– The inaugural Great Cycle Challenge USA has surpassed its goal with $1.6 million raised to fight kids’ cancer for Children’s Cancer Research Fund and one local man raised over $5,200 and rode over 1,600 miles in the month of June for the campaign.
Nate Erickson, a Creston resident, was a part of Ashlyne’s Army, the top fundraising GCC-USA team formed in honor of Ashlyne Thurber, a children’s cancer ambassador who lost her battle with the disease at the young age of ten. Together, the team rode nearly 100,000 miles and raised over $200,000.
Nate Erickson. Courtesy photo.
During the month of June, 12,500 riders of all fitness levels and ages and across all 50 states pedaled 876,488 miles for the cause. Participants took part in the challenge by setting a distance goal and tracking progress via the Great Cycle Challenge app and website while raising vital funds for childhood cancer research.
“The generosity of our GCC-USA participants will help us continue revolutionizing childhood cancer treatments worldwide, bringing us closer to a cure than we’ve ever been before,” says Chief Executive Officer of CCRF John Hallberg. “With more than $1.6 million dollars, at least eight research grants will be given to the best and brightest pediatric cancer clinicians and researchers.”
All funds raised go to support the work of CCRF to develop treatments and find a cure for childhood cancer. CCRF is a prominent supporter of the University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center, which is internationally recognized as one of the top research institutions in the world investigating childhood cancer. Some projects that may be funded include:
- The exploration of using nanoparticles to deliver drugs to only cancer cells. By using targeted therapies and avoiding normal cells, kids could experience fewer side effects from toxic chemotherapies and treatments.
- A study aimed at understanding how leukemia cells interact with their surroundings, helping researchers discover ways to reduce the risk of relapse in kids.
- An effort to perfect a breakthrough study that has cut the average engraftment recovery time after a cord blood transplant from 26 days to just 8 days. This means kids spend less time in the hospital after transplant.
To learn about Children’s Cancer Research Fund and recent research breakthroughs, visit ChildrensCancer.org.
