Long Beach, News

Tour of Long Beach cycles across the city for charity

Childhood cancers make up less than 1 percent of all cancers diagnosed each year, yet over 10,000 children in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer in 2015, according to the American Cancer Society.

The Tour of Long Beach on Saturday helped raise funding for research on pediatric cancer at the Jonathan Jacques Children’s Cancer Center at Miller Children’s Hospital.

“People are out here riding, raising money and supporting something locally that’s going to have a national effect,” said Renae Furlow, the marketing manager at the Johnathan Jacques Cancer Center. “We really want to let people know that it’s not a faceless cause and that people can do something, and by getting on your bike, and being healthy and giving yourself up actually helps other people and has a ripple effect.”

The event raised about $350,000 in donations, adding to the $1.2 million it has raised in six years as thousands of people competed in different races and enjoyed the post-race festival.

JJCCC provides care for children of all ages, from infants to young adults, who suffer from cancer, sickle cell disease, hemophilia or other serious blood disorders. Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach provides hematology and oncology care, and treatment for more than 800 children each year, according to Tour of Long Beach.

“When it comes down to it, f-ck cancer,” said 30-year-old Zack Walters, who cycled a 62 mile stretch to Newport Beach with his brother Daniel. “Anything that we can do –my sister has breast cancer, but we all have grandparents, family members, that have died from it– so anything we can do to penetrate whatever bubble we need to penetrate to get them to find a cure, let’s do it.”

This event was the first Tour of Long Beach race where event-goers were given the opportunity to create personalized messages for the 20 juvenile hospital patients.

“We try to make it personal to where it’s not just a cause, but these are actual faces so…you can leave notes for the patients at the hospital that will be delivered to their rooms next week to show that the community cares,” Furlow said.

The event, which partnered with the city of Long Beach highlighted the bike-friendly infrastructure that the city has to offer and made use of its many bike paths and lanes.

Four races were featured during the day: the Cruz Gran Fondo race, which covered a 100 mile stretch from Long Beach to Laguna Beach and back; the Metric Century course, which ran for 60 miles from Long Beach to Newport Beach and back; the Tour of Long Beach, which coursed through Long Beach and Bixby Knolls for 30 miles using the city’s bike lanes and paths, and finally the five mile Family Ride.

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