BellRinger Ride Returns in October To Fund Groundbreaking Cancer Research
2023 was a big year for the BellRinger Community and the future of cancer research. On October 21, 2023, thousands of BellRinger Riders, volunteers, and supporters showed out in numbers and in style on a windy Saturday to support Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center’s commitment to a cancer free future. With an early morning start from the heart of Georgetown’s campus, Riders made their way to Glen Echo Park to finish their 25-mile rides and to Urbana District Park to finish their 50/100-mile rides.
Since then, Riders tied up their fundraising for the 2023 season, raising over $1.4 million, bringing BellRinger’s lifetime funds raised for groundbreaking cancer research to well over $2.8 million. The dollars that the BellRinger Community raises year after year are critical in advancing the work of world renowned research projects at the area’s only NCI-designated cancer institute, led by Director Dr. Louis M. Weiner, and Deputy Director Dr. Michael B. Atkins.
The funds raised through BellRinger have been instrumental in advancing critical research projects that push the boundaries of what we thought was possible by supporting three faculty research labs:
● The Robbins Lab, led by Dr. David Robbins, focuses on colorectal cancer. Their work attempts to explain the signaling pathways that cause colorectal cancer to spread. The ultimate goal of this work is to identify new therapies to treat patients with colorectal cancer.
● The Ayad Lab, led by Dr. Nagi Ayad, focuses on developing new technologies and medications for the treatment of primary brain cancers such as medulloblastoma and glioblastoma. The overall goal is to identify patient-specific therapies for incurable forms of brain cancer.
● The Nair Lab , led by Dr. Sreejith Nair, is dedicated to unraveling the role of cellular RNAs in chemotherapy with the ultimate goal of harnessing this understanding to improve the efficacy and reduce the toxicity of cancer treatments.
With another year under our belts and a reignited passion to make a difference in the lives of everyone affected by a cancer diagnosis, our community is more ready to attack year three with a newfound purpose and determination to end cancer. On October 26, 2024, the BellRinger Community will hit the roads one again on their rides to end cancer.
If you have ridden in BellRinger in the past, we hope that you come and join us again this fall. If you are a new Rider, we encourage you to take the stand against cancer with thousands of others and commit to riding 25, 50, or 100 miles. With fundraising commitments ranging from $1,000 to $1,500, it is without a doubt certain that just by committing to ride your bike with friends and family, you have the power to save lives.
With registration already underway for 2024, your time is now to join an ever-growing community committed to a future without cancer. BellRinger is a Ride, not a race, and Riders from all walks of life come out to join us on the roads — experienced cyclists, casual riders, and people who just hate cancer. Whatever your skill set, we promise you will fit right in.
Take part today at BellRinger.org!
*P.S. — BellRinger hosted training rides led by professional cyclists will start up in April! The best part is that you don’t have to be registered to Ride yet to come out and join us. Bring your friends, meet other members of the community, and get in a few miles as you train for what will hopefully be your first (or second, or third) BellRinger Ride this fall. More information will be shared in the coming weeks!