Finishing a strenuous cycling event requires a couple key factors: hard work, dedication and a belief that reaching the finish line is possible. HBM Holdings believes those same factors apply in working to find a cure for cancer, which is why we participate in the annual Pedal the Cause event in St. Louis, Missouri with Mississippi Lime leading the cause.
This year’s Pedal the Cause (PTC) event took place on September 29th and 30th, with funding from the event going towards cancer research at Siteman Cancer Center and Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. The PTC was founded in 2009 as a way to ensure that 100% of the event’s public donations are donated towards research that will work to end all types of cancers. HBM and Mississippi Lime are on board with bold missions and organizations that take action and this year, as in the past, we were proud to participate in an event that has a pretty lofty mission:
To create a world without cancer.
Giving 100% in every effort and creating a world without cancer are causes we believe are worth fighting for. This year, 3,598 riders had their choice of many different race courses and options, from the basic PTC circuit of 10 miles to the Century at an impressive 100 miles; but no matter what fitness level they started with, HBM and Mississippi Lime team members pedaled through the challenge in hopes of making a difference. There were even special kids’ challenges, on-site spinning circuits and virtual rider options for those cyclists who are unable to attend the in-person event. And because this is an event that focuses on real results in the fight against cancer, it’s also one that is dedicated to real results for its riders. The PTC is a unique event in that it offers training plans, training rides and cycling classes to help cyclists prepare for the big day and maintain a healthy lifestyle—one of the many small ways we can help fight cancer—even long after the event is over.
Although the official 2018 Pedal the Cause event is now over, the organization is continuing to accept fundraising donations until Halloween. So far, some of the top teams released raised over $200,000 in individual donations and to date, the entire PTC has collected over $19,809,000 from over 81,000 donors that go directly to funding 101 different cancer research projects. For example, some of the newest projects are focusing on the role of treatment-resistant cells in glioblastomas, one the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor types, and the role of mutant stem cells signaling cancer mutations. Although these are just two examples of the type of research projects funded, all of the different research areas are making ground-breaking progress in the fight against cancer. As a team, HBM & Mississippi Lime is expected to raise around $60,000 through PTC, and we are proud to have had the opportunity to make a difference.
Next year’s event will take place on September 28 and 29th, 2019 and HBM will ready at the start line, bike helmets strapped on and water bottles handy because, in an event that donates 100% of its earnings, HBM and Mississippi Lime will definitely not accept anything less than 100% in effort.
