By Lexie Blakeman
Exec. News Editor
The 9th-annual Tour de Pier, a fundraising event where participants ride stationary bicycles, was held on Sept. 12 in order to support local organizations that perform cancer research and assistance.
The fundraising goal for this year was $1 million, and participants were able to meet that target, raising a total of $1,028,437.64. Altogether, Tour De Pier has raised more than $8.7 million for cancer charities since its conception in 2013. Tour De Pier’s beneficiaries include the Cancer Support Community of Redondo Beach, the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer research, and the Uncle Kory Foundation.
“Tour de Pier funds support groups, yoga classes, strength and balance classes, educational workshops, doctors, dieticians, psychiatrists, and individual counseling so that cancer patients may have access to these things for free,” said Nida Padilla, volunteer for the Cancer Support Community.
Jon Hirshberg first came across the idea of doing a spin bike fundraiser after learning about an event that was able to raise over $3 million in a single day at cycling studios across the country. Hirshberg also kickstarted the L.A. Cancer Challenge, a 5-kilometer walk and run held annually at the University of California in Los Angeles to support research, special care, and detection for pancreatic and other cancers.
“It’s amazing how far the money raised from this event is able to go toward helping the families of the Cancer Support Community. This event helps us to be able to provide counseling sessions, workout programs, and we even have an emotional support dog to lower their blood pressure and levels of stress,” said Nancy Lomibao, family therapist for the Cancer Support Community.
Tour de Pier begins at 8:30 a.m., and includes five sessions that last 50 minutes each. Participants have the option of riding solo for all five sessions or becoming a team captain to recruit up to four other teammates that register and ride with them. Whether a participant rides alone or with a team, the fundraising minimum to take part in the race is $750, although everyone is encouraged to raise as much as they can.
“Tour de Pier is one of three large events that the Hirshberg Foundation puts on every year,” said Sara Banks, volunteer from the Hirshberg Foundation for pancreatic cancer research. “Through this event, the Hirshberg Foundation is able to fund the Foundation Grant Seed Program which has been extremely successful in funding research for the prevention of pancreatic cancer, as well as technology for early diagnosis and detection, cancer biology, basic science, and patient care.”
Leave a Reply