Riding for Cancer
By Brittany Plothow Staff Writer
There’s no such thing as too much good karma, but Utah County offers tons of opportunities to add to your bucket. Running tends to be very popular in Happy Valley and every weekend tends to have some kind of 5k or half marathon fundraiser. A change of pace is coming up this August in the form of a bicycle race fundraiser.
Cancer is a nasty little guy. Nearly everyone has been touched by cancer, in one form or another. And cancer treatments, while paramount, are costly. Patients getting treatments at Central Utah Clinic are getting a much-needed reprieve.
Many of the patients who come to Central Utah Clinic for cancer treatments are not local and travel long distances in order to receive potentially life-saving treatments. Costs of travel and lodging can add stress to an already stressful time for these patients and their families. Central Utah Clinic has come up with a plan to help these patients in their greatest time of need.
Central Utah Clinic Foundation is hosting Utah Rides for Cancer, a fundraiser for the clinic’s cancer unit. This 10-mile bike ride aims to raise enough funds to cover the costs of lodging and travel for these patients and their families for the year to come. The clinic has plans to make this event an annual one in order to continue to help their patients with their costs. The plan is also to make the race more competitive in the future or having the option between a competitive race and a more leisurely race.
Participants can either bike or walk/run the 10-mile route which begins at Exchange Park, 900 North and 750 West in Provo. If biking or walking isn’t a person’s forte, pledges for other participants are welcome. Simple donations are also accepted. Those who would like to show their support while also having a good time are invited to enjoy live music, food, and gift baskets while awaiting the arrival of those participating in the event. There are options for everyone to support the cause while having a good time.
The race begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday, August 17 and is scheduled to last until noon, including the after events. Registration fee is $15. More information and registration can be found at UtahRidesForCancer.com. Those interested in volunteering or sponsoring can contact Camille Hansen at 801.429.8016 or [email protected].
Brittany is the Opinion Editor at UVU Review. She is a passionate little soul of a person. She is a senior at Utah Valley University and will graduate in spring 2014. With a background in addiction recovery and journalism, she is planning a career in non-profits. She can be found on Saturday nights hanging out with her cat Ringo Starr and watching Netflix. She probably tweets too much.