On September 29th, 2019 a team of bicyclists hopped on their “cancer curing bikes” and hit the road to help raise funds for cancer research as part of the Pedal the Cause event in St. Louis, MO. This annual fundraising event helps support cancer research at Siteman Cancer Center and St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Memorial Hospital’s Popeye Pedalers team consisted of 25 members made up of employees and their friends and family. The team signed up for the 20-mile ride this year that wove them through the streets of Chesterfield, MO. In total, there were over 3,700 riders at the event.
The evening before the ride, the teams, their families and friends, doctors, cancer patients and their families gather for an evening of fun and celebration. The program is an inspirational event of researchers and doctors explaining how they are using the money raised by Pedal the Cause. It also includes patients and their families sharing their experiences with cancer and how the research has impacted their lives and assisted them. The speakers and their stories really drive home why so many are present and willing to ride the distance to help raise funds for continued research. Rider, Kathy Winkler, stated that, “it makes you realize why you ride and gets you excited for the event the next day.”
This year the Popeye Pedalers raised over $14,000, surpassing last year’s donation of $10,000. For every dollar raised, federal funding matches it $7.00. All teams have until October 31st to submit their final contributions. The Popeye Pedalers team also grew in size from last year, with the hopes of adding more team members each year into the future. One of the riders said it best, “once you ride, you feel like you are part of the Pedal family. Knowing that 100% of the money raised is going to cancer research and knowing so many people fighting for a cure makes the heat and the hills bearable.”
Anyone interested is welcome to join the team. You do not have to by a physical rider, there are options to be virtual riders (not present for the event but help fundraise), or spinners (stationary bike riders) as well. The annual Pedal the Cause event is held the last weekend in September in Chesterfield, MO every year. Learn more about the team and their fundraising efforts here. The team would like to thank everyone for his or her continued support through their encouraging words, monetary donations, and support of the team’s fundraisers throughout the year.
Comments