Looking for a good cause to support this month? Bike for Hope is a five-day (August 30 – September 3), 100-mile-per-day bicycle charity event that will start in Palo Alto, California and end in Duarte, California, to raise money for cancer research.
The brainchild of Supplies Network and several of their partners, including HP, ECi software and HSM, Bike for Hope is partnered with City of Hope, a leading cancer research center and the adopted charity of the office products industry.
Bill Erpelding, marketing director for Supplies Network, says that cancer has impacted almost everybody in the core group of riders.
“Some perhaps more directly than others, but I think I can say we all believe strongly in this cause,” he says. “I think it’s pretty rare today for someone to have not experienced the impact of cancer.”
Who came up with the idea for such a physically demanding event? Erpelding says that it was born out of the shared passions of some of the individuals in the companies involved.
“There are several of us within the sponsoring companies who have participated in triathlons, marathons and cycling events,” he explains. “There have been discussions for some time on developing a fundraiser based on a challenging, distance cycling event to raise awareness and hopefully raise funds to support all the great work done at City of Hope.”
Challenging could be an understatement. Not only do the riders cover more than 100 miles per day for five days, there is also a considerable amount of climbing and the wind can be especially difficult in certain areas. On day two, for instance, there is roughly 7,600 feet of climbing.
“The best way to prepare is to log some miles and get in shape,” suggests Erpelding. “No real way around that. I know everyone in the group is doing what they can, but between work and family demands, time to train is limited. With cycling, the important part is for the group to collectively gain enough fitness to help share the load when riding into the wind.”
The ride may be exhausting, but at least the scenery is beautiful. Erpelding says that with HP being so involved, it made a lot of sense to depart from HP worldwide headquarters in Palo Alto and ride to City of Hope in the L.A. area.
“Personally, I’m looking forward to all of it,” he says. “Naturally, that includes some very scenic spots and is very conducive to an event like this. We feel with the route being challenging, yet appealing in terms of scenery, we can generate interest among others in our industry. While this is just being developed, we do feel if it’s successful, there’s the possibility it could be an annual event.”
Erpelding says that the goal is to raise $50,000.
“We’re certainly gaining ground, but have a long way to go,” he says. “Some of the funds are coming in from companies within the industry that will make up part of the final donation and aren’t necessarily reflected on the event website.” (www.crowdrise.com/bikeforhope2016).
Asked what message he has to people who wish to donate, Erpelding says that no amount is too small to support this great cause.
“Chances are you’ve had a loved one, a friend, a co-worker or someone you know who has had to battle cancer at some point,” he says. “Think about how challenging that was for them and their family. I’ve had loved ones fight cancer and I’m very grateful there are organizations like City of Hope that are dedicated to saving lives and because of their work, more people are survivors.”
The reality today is that many are surviving cancer and much of that can be attributed to advancements in life-saving treatments, which is a direct result of the work done by City of Hope and other research facilities.
Donations can be made on the event website www.crowdrise.com/bikeforhope2016 and you can donate to the general fund or in support of a specific rider.
