IOWA CITY, IOWA (March 15, 2019) — Courage Ride, an annual charity bike-ride benefiting the University of Iowa’s sarcoma-cancer research, has announced it is moving this year’s start/finish venue from Iowa Mennonite School near Kalona to Big Grove Brewery and Taproom in Iowa City in an effort to attract more participants in the Corridor. The 2019 Courage Ride will be held August 17th and marks the 15th year for the event.
Six updated routes will continue to take riders through the scenic Amish countryside near Kalona and out as far as North English and Millersburg. But this year all routes will begin at Big Grove in Iowa City then head south along the Iowa River through Hills and Riverside before returning to Big Grove. The Iowa Mennonite School will continue to serve as a rest stop for longer routes.
“We have been overjoyed with the success and growth of Courage Ride over the past several years,” said Courage Ride Director Leora Houghton. “We get high marks for putting on a quality event and we have made a significant impact supporting the Sarcoma Cancer Research Program at the University of Iowa’s Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center. But we need to accommodate growth and enhance the rider experience. We believe our move to Big Grove Brewery in Iowa City allows us to do that and provide even an greater donation to the cancer research programs at the university.”
Courage Ride honors the life of Seth Bailey, a courageous young man who died at age 25 from sarcoma cancer in 2003. His parents, Jackie and Tom Bailey partnered with Bicyclists of Iowa City (BIC) in 2005 to create a ride that all levels of bicyclists can enjoy.
Courage Ride organizers anticipate between 500 to 600 bicyclists to register for the event. Beginning at 7AM, bicyclists will travel on 6 different paved routes. Routes include lengths of 5, 18, 36.5 (Seth Bailey Courage Loop), 51, 85, or 101 (The Tom Bailey Century) miles.
Bicyclists can also participate in a silent auction featuring items from a variety of area businesses, organizations, and craftsmen, along with free skin-cancer screenings by University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics dermatologists. The local community is also welcome to participate in the free skin-cancer screenings.
Proceeds Support Sarcoma Cancer Research
All proceeds from Courage Ride go to the University of Iowa Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center Sarcoma Research Program. Over the past 14 years, Courage Ride has raised over $510,000 for sarcoma-cancer research.
To date, Courage Ride proceeds have seeded numerous sarcoma-cancer research-grants. Many of those grants have evolved into promising, larger-scale research-studies. This newfound momentum in the Sarcoma Research Program has created a lot of enthusiasm among researchers, investigators, doctors, and cancer-care providers at the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center. The results are leading to new advancements, new partnerships, and attracting some of the best research-talent in the nation. Patient lives are improved as a result of these research studies, and the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center is gaining worldwide recognition for its expertise in advancing sarcoma research.
Courage Ride’s mission is more crucial than ever, considering that funding for cancer research has been shrinking over the past 10 years, according to the American Association for Cancer Research. Yet cancer remains one of the nation’s costliest diseases. The American Cancer Society’s 2019 estimates for soft-tissue sarcomas in the United States (these statistics include both adults and children) project that 12,750 new soft-tissue sarcomas will be diagnosed (7,240 cases in males and 5,510 cases in females) and 5,270 Americans (2,840 males and 2,430 females) are expected to die of soft-tissue sarcomas. Over 100 adults and children in Iowa are diagnosed with sarcoma each year. Sarcoma receives one to two percent of all cancer-research funding.
Discount For Early Registration
Registration is now open. Early adult-registration is $75 (through Friday, August 9). Beginning August 10, adult registration is $85. Youth registration (13-17) is $15. Registration includes breakfast and lunch, entertaining rest stops, and SAG support. A victory party with live bands will be held at Big Grove throughout the afternoon.
Visit www.CourageRide.org for more information about the event including registration, route maps, parking, or to make a donation.
