Pedal the Cause, the region’s largest peer-to-peer fundraising event, is adapting its 2020 bike ride in order to maintain its commitment to fund vital cancer research at Siteman Cancer Center and Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital while prioritizing the safety of its riders, volunteers and supporters.

In 2019, Pedal the Cause celebrated its tenth year with 3,725 riders and spinners, 522 kids, and over 1,100 volunteers working in tandem to raise $4.74 million. This year Pedal the Cause Inspired will take place on September 26 and 27 and offer participants the opportunity to choose their own physical challenge: biking, spinning, running, walking or another activity. Participants will complete these challenges on their own, in small groups, or together with their families throughout the weekend all connected through a livestream Inspirational Program and various interactive opportunities. Pedal the Cause will also offer opportunities to train, fundraise, and engage with the community in the weeks and months leading up to the event.

“With 10 years of momentum at our backs, the Pedal family has shown we are unstoppable. This year, we prove it,” said Pedal the Cause Executive Director David Drier. “Pedal the Cause Inspired provides the opportunity for us to continue our tradition of riding to fund cancer research at the end of September. Pedal the Cause may look different this year because of our inability to safely gather but will offer new opportunities for participation from those that don’t ride a bike and those who are outside the St. Louis area. This year, we challenge everyone to be Inspired to create a world without cancer.”

“We have all been through a lot of emotional stress these past few months,” said Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center Director Timothy Eberlein, MD. “Participating in Pedal the Cause is a great way to improve emotional wellbeing while supporting a great cause. The Pedal family has been phenomenally successful at funding new cancer research and therapies, and I believe Pedal the Cause Inspired will be another great success for cancer research at Siteman Cancer Center and Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.”

Pedal the Cause Inspired will build on the organization’s ten-year history of riding and raising funds to support innovative ideas in cancer research that are not currently eligible for federal funds. Last year’s record-breaking donation of $4.74 million brings the total funds donated by Pedal the Cause over the last ten years to $29,077,611. This money has funded 140 cancer research projects at their beneficiaries, including 108 adult and 32 pediatric projects.

“The need to fund cancer research has not gone away amidst the pandemic,” said BJC President and Chief Executive Officer Rich Liekweg. “We are thrilled that Pedal the Cause has reimagined this year’s event and will once again be engaging our community to take action. The funds we receive from Pedal the Cause are vitally important to our world-class cancer research and translational cancer care both at Siteman Cancer Center and Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Your participation will have real impact on cancer patients here and around the world, and that can inspire us all.”

To register for Pedal the Cause Inspired or to learn more about Pedal the Cause and its work to achieve a world without cancer, please visit www.pedalthecause.org.