New Brunswick, N.J. – Aiming to reach a cumulative $2 million for research efforts at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, organizers for the Century for the Cure bike ride have opened registration for the 12th annual event scheduled for September 18. Having raised nearly $300,000 from last year’s ride – the largest amount ever – the event has recorded an overall $1.7 million since its inception.
“Everyone is touched by cancer – whether themselves, a family member, friend or community member. The physician-scientists at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey are saving lives every day through groundbreaking, innovative research. It is amazing to know that Century for the Cure is helping drive new discoveries that are aiding so many in their fight against this disease,” notes ride founder Scott Glickman. Glickman is all too familiar with that journey, having battled stage IV non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the late 1990s. After being successfully treated at Rutgers Cancer Institute, Glickman – a cycling enthusiast – started the one-day Century for the Cure ride to benefit research efforts there. “It was a way for my wife Aileen and me to ‘give back.’ We are tremendously proud of the event and are thankful to all of those who give their time and energy to help make Century for the Cure a success year after year,” he adds.
The ride supports cutting-edge clinical trials led by Glickman’s oncologist Roger Strair, MD, PhD, chief of Hematologic Malignancies/Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation at Rutgers Cancer Institute. “Funding from Century for the Cure is helping Rutgers Cancer Institute further advance research in the areas of leukemia, lymphoma and kidney cancer. Because of Scott and Aileen’s continued dedication to this event, our patients are benefiting from novel therapies that otherwise may not have been available to them, and for that, our team is extremely grateful,” says Dr. Strair, who is also a professor of medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Century for the Cure also has supported grants for scientific investigators at Rutgers Cancer Institute to further explore varied blood cancers.
Century for the Cure sees hundreds of riders, dozens of volunteers and numerous “virtual participants” – those who choose to support the event through online giving. Along with the traditional 100-mile trek, 62-mile and 40-mile courses also are available. To register for this year’s Century for the Cure, which begins and ends at Camp Riverbend in Warren Township, or to learn how you can help, visit www.centuryforthecure.com.
About Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey (www.cinj.org) is the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. As part of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, the Cancer Institute of New Jersey is dedicated to improving the detection, treatment and care of patients with cancer, and to serving as an education resource for cancer prevention. Physician-scientists at Rutgers Cancer Institute engage in translational research, transforming their laboratory discoveries into clinical practice. To make a tax-deductible gift to support the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, call 732-235-8614 or visit www.cinj.org/giving. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheCINJ.
The Cancer Institute of New Jersey Network is comprised of hospitals throughout the state and provides the highest quality cancer care and rapid dissemination of important discoveries into the community. Flagship Hospital: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. System Partner: Meridian Health (Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Ocean Medical Center, Riverview Medical Center, Southern Ocean Medical Center, and Bayshore Community Hospital). Affiliate Hospitals: JFK Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (CINJ Hamilton), and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset.