After raising more than $4.5 million for cancer research in its first year, the Columbus bike tour Pelotonia is hoping to boost Ohio State student involvement this year with the Pelotonia Team.
Pelotonia is sponsoring a 12-hour Spin-A-Thon May 22. The spring event will be the first spring event for Pelotonia at OSU and the first event aimed toward students.
“Simply put, we want to get more students involved in raising money,” Pelatonia spokeswoman Jessica Kinman said.
The Spin-A-Thon “is geared at non-riders and funds raised from this will go directly to the James [Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute],” said Colleen Ross, student overall for the Student Pelotonia Team.
This is the first year for the student team and Ross said she hopes that having an event in the spring will raise awareness for Pelotonia. She also said she hopes to create a student presence for Pelotonia through the Spin-a-Thon and future student-led events.
Ross, who started the student team at OSU, began riding a year ago after her aunt, best friend’s mother and other family friends were diagnosed with cancer. Ross had no biking experience before Pelotonia.
“Everyone is affected by cancer in some way,” Ross said. “I am riding for people that I know that have been affected in my life.”
The cost for a student team to participate in the Spin-A-Thon is $100 and each team can have as many as 12 members. Teammates will ride at separate times but one member must be on the spinning cycle at all times.
Pelontia’s second-annual bike tour, which takes place in August, recently opened registration.
All proceeds from the bike tour go to the OSU Comprehensive Cancer Research Center, including the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute.
“Cancer is only one word made of hundreds of diseases,” said Lance Armstrong, cancer survivor and seven-time winner of the Tour de France, during a speech in Columbus for Pelotonia.
Armstrong was one of 2,265 riders who participated in August. He was also joined by OSU football coach Jim Tressel and President E. Gordon Gee.
Student riders are expected to raise a minimum of $500 for Pelotonia’s August event, while all other riders were expected to raise $1,000.
Additional information about Pelotonia can be found at pelotonia.org, and for more information about the OSU student team, contact Ross at [email protected].
