2012 - A Record Breaking Year!
2012 saw the largest rider turnout to date - 460 individuals joined us for another successful year!
Thanks to all who participated! Together we raised over $35,000 for Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Courage Ride 2013
Save the date - August 24th, 2013. Check back later for registration information.
Sponsors
Shout Out to Local Supporters
We would like to thank these local businesses, organizations, and individuals for their generous support of the 2012 Courage Ride. Your help and support is much appreciated. Thank you to all!
- Wellman Rotary
- Farmers Lodge
- Kalona Methodist Women
- Yotty's Ice Cream
- The Friends of Old St. Michaels
- Twin County Dairy
- Zio Johnos
- Skogman Realty
- KCTC
- Radioshack of Kalona
EXPERIENCE IT!
Welcome to the Courage Ride! - Honoring the Courage of Seth Bailey
Join us! Pedal over gently rolling green hills leading past Amish homesteads and over old stagecoach routes!
Enjoy! Fabulous foods all day from start to finish; a mouthwatering Belgian Waffle Breakfast, a substantial biker's lunch, and plentiful snacks at rest stops that will keep your legs fueled and moving!
Relax! The hills will be alive with the sound of music! Live entertainment throughout the day - even at the rest stops!
Silent Auction! Place a winning bid on bikes and other fantastic items in our silent auction!
Amenities! Detailed route map, SAG support, bike mechanics, hot shower, free grass camping, and a really cool pocket sized waterproof bike pouch.
Donate! Your entry fee goes to a great cause! This annual bike-ride through the beautiful countryside of Eastern Iowa is dedicated to improving the lives of people living with cancer by raising money funding local cancer research at Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Your donation can help find a cure for sarcoma and other cancers!
Non-riders are welcome so bring your family and friends. Dad's Belgian Waffle tickets may be purchased on the day of our ride at Iowa Mennonite School. Lunch and snacks are available for purchase as well. Stay with us and enjoy the music all day long!
To date, the Courage Ride has raised over $113,400 for cancer research.
Click here to view photos from previous Courage Rides
How your support of the Courage Ride is making a difference!
Dr. Mohammed Milhem, Medical Oncologist at The University of Iowa Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center shared what that difference is with the Courage Ride planning committee on Monday, May 21st 2012. From 2005-2011, the Courage Ride has raised over $113,400 for cancer research at the University of Iowa Cancer Center. Dr. Milhem's specialty is Sarcoma and Melanoma care and research. Though there are over 100 subtypes of sarcoma, it is one of the rarer types of cancer. In 2011, it was predicted that less than 1% of people in the US would be diagnosed with sarcoma. Though the National Cancer Institute has improved funding for sarcoma research over the past few years, funding for sarcoma research falls far short when compared to other, more common cancers. Because of this, it is very hard for centers to get a sarcoma-focused program of research up and going.
Dr. Milhem shared that because of the generous donations from the Courage Ride, he has been able to get a robust program started at the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center. When he came to Iowa in 2007, there were no sarcoma clinical trials open at the University of Iowa. There are now 14 clinical trials open for sarcoma alone. It is very important that medical oncologists and others that care for people with and do research on sarcoma partner and share news and ideas. Clinical trials help doctors and researchers learn what the best treatments are for cancer. Cancer discoveries can take 10+ years before being a standard part of treatment and can cost $3 million dollars per person from the time it was an idea in a researchers head until it is a treatment for all with the diagnosis. Because less than 30% of sarcomas respond to chemotherapy, people with sarcoma need to be able to get new drugs and treatments. Having many studies with different treatments and treatments for different stages of disease provides this chance for patients. Dr. Milhem has helped to start the Midwest Sarcoma Initiative where doctors from UIHC, Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, the University of Missouri, Northwestern University in Illinois and the University of Wisconsin are now networking to share facts and clinical trials for patients across the Midwest. Dr. Milhem and other medical oncologists are now able to offer treatment for people with metastatic (cancer that has spread in the body) sarcoma that results in many years of quality life, something that he was not able to offer before.
The contributions from the Courage Ride gave Dr. Milhem and the program at UIHC a platform or "a step up." It has helped to support a sarcoma tissue bank where tissue and blood are stored for study. Researchers use this stored tissue and blood to learn more about the disease and how it grows and spreads. Learning more about cancers can help personalize the care people get for the traits their cancer has. Money raised by the Courage Ride goes not only for Sarcoma research but for all cancer research conducted at the University of Iowa. It helps the University of Iowa Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center reach goals now and into the future. Thank you for your donations and support of the Courage Ride!
$31,000 raised in 2011!
The Courage Ride, is an annual bike ride through the beautiful countryside of Eastern Iowa which raises money to fight cancer. It is a beautiful tribute to Seth Bailey and all families and individuals whose courage is unsurpassed in their battle with cancer. Proceeds are donated to Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center to fight sarcoma and all cancers.
Click here to view photos from Courage Ride 2011
