On Sept. 7, hundreds of cyclists will line up to ride anywhere from 5 to 100 miles in the Norton Cancer Institute’s Bike to Beat Cancer. The hope is to raise more than $500,000 for cancer research, prevention, advanced treatments, patient support and more for the Kentuckiana community. The ride begins in front of the…
When it comes to fighting cancer, Claudia Johnson knows the power of being surrounded by a good team. The physical therapist assistant at Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital beat cancer — twice — and knows how tough and scary the journey can be for anyone who is going through it. Now, it’s Claudia’s mission to…
For the Rev. Ronald C. Oliver, Bike to Beat Cancer is not about the bike, the route or the pit stops. It is about the people. “During the Bike to Beat Cancer, I love to ride alongside someone who I can tell just got on their bike not long ago and ask, “Why are you…
Cassie Schembari was a 19-year-old Bellarmine University student when she was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia. “Cassie took it in stride,” said her mother, Jackie Schembari. “She was a fighter for two years. She went through a lot of treatments. It was a battle she fought like a hero. Her inner spirit was just hard…
Bryan Redick has been there since the beginning. He participated in the Norton Healthcare Foundation’s first Bike to Beat Cancer 15 years ago, and he’ll be riding again in September, an unbroken string of rides to raise money for patients at Norton Cancer Institute and Norton Children’s Cancer Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of…
It won’t be a long bike ride, but it will a meaningful one for Laila S. Agrawal, M.D., when she and her family participate in Bike to Beat Cancer. As a hematologist/oncologist, Dr. Agrawal has dedicated her career to caring for people with cancer. For her, it’s important to join others outside of work to…
During the 2018 Bike to Beat Cancer,William Cohen and his Omega Psi Phi fraternity brother pedaled through the “Mile of Silence” – a stretch of the route where riders can reflect on the cause and memorialize those lost to cancer. Along the way, yard signs offered solace and information. One statistic caught William’s attention: 1…
One year ago, I shared the story of one of our longtime Bike to Beat Cancer volunteers, Missy Farfsing, and her battle with a rare cancer of the spine. At the start of 2022, Missy’s cancer took a turn, becoming more aggressive and causing her a great deal of pain. Cancer is never beautiful, never…
Eric Winke, 44, is an e-learning developer with the Norton Healthcare Institute for Education & Development. Eric, who is married with a young son and daughter, took the time to answer a few questions about why he rides in Bike to Beat Cancer. How many years have you participated in Bike to Beat Cancer? 2022…
High school English teacher Annemarie Finn has never been to Louisville to ride in Bike to Beat Cancer. In fact, Annemarie does not live in the region or even in the state. Annemarie lives in Mashpee, Massachusetts, a small coastal town around 50 miles from Boston. For the past two years Annemarie has ridden a…
Each year, Debbie Cobb would see Bike to Beat Cancer setting up from her office on the Norton Brownsboro Hospital campus. She would see the big tents going up and hear everyone on campus getting excited. One year, looking out over the tents, Debbie said, “I am going to do it!” She registered for Bike…
Brian Haskel is preparing for his eighth Bike to Beat Cancer ride. Each year, he rides in honor of loved ones touched by cancer. “I lost many relatives to cancer who were taken too young,” Brian said. “Great people who left holes in my family that can never be filled, and we still mourn for…