- All donations up to a total of $500,000 will be matched by Bristol-Myers Squibb
The first of seven teams of Bristol-Myers
Squibb (NYSE:BMY) employees mounted their bikes in Cannon Beach, OR,
today to kick off the 2017
Coast
2 Coast 4 Cancer Ride
. Ninety-three novice riders will bike
a total of nearly 2,800 miles during the 21-day mission to raise money
and awareness for Stand Up To Cancer’s innovative cancer research
programs that bring together collaborative teams of scientific
researchers to help get new therapies to patients faster.
Bristol-Myers Squibb will match funds raised during the 2017 Coast 2
Coast 4 Cancer Ride dollar-for-dollar up to a total of $500,000. This is
the fourth Coast 2 Coast 4 Cancer Ride benefitting Stand Up To Cancer
(SU2C). Last year’s Coast 2 Coast 4 Cancer ride raised over $1 million
for SU2C research programs.
Katie Couric, award-winning journalist and SU2C co-founder said, “All of
us at Stand Up To Cancer are profoundly grateful to the Bristol-Myers
Squibb employees as they cycle cross-country. Their commitment honors
those who are fighting cancer, as well as those lost to the disease. The
riders – and everyone who supports them – are helping SU2C advance
research with the hope of one day turning more and more cancer patients
into long-term survivors.”
This year, Bonni Norwood of Spring Lakes, MI, a cancer survivor herself
who hasn’t ridden a bike in 45 years, will ride from Kansas City, MO, to
Indianapolis, IN. “While training to ride 75 miles per day is difficult
for me, my struggles pale in comparison to those faced by people
fighting cancer,” said Bonni. “I’m riding for two dear friends who are
both young and vibrant, but are currently battling cancer. When I face
steep climbs or cross winds, I will dig deep and persevere for them and
for all cancer patients.”
“Every day, we, at Bristol-Myers Squibb, challenge ourselves
individually and collectively as a team to fight cancer,” said Teresa
Bitetti, senior vice president, U.S. Oncology, Bristol-Myers Squibb.
“Our employees who are riding across the country exemplify this passion
and purpose - to help drive real change for people impacted by cancer.”
Concurrently, seventy-eight Bristol-Myers Squibb employees in Europe
will embark on a
Country
2 Country 4 Cancer Ride
. The Country 2 Country Ride kicks
off September 8 in Germany, and spans 3,600 kilometers (2,236 miles)
through Switzerland, Italy, France, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Funds
raised will support one of eight market-specific cancer-focused
charities in Europe.
For more information about Coast 2 Coast 4 Cancer, and to follow the
riders as they cross the country, visit cancerbikeride.org
or follow the ride on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn by using
#C2C4Cancer.
About Bristol-Myers Squibb
Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission
is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help
patients prevail over serious diseases. For more information about
Bristol-Myers Squibb, visit us at BMS.com
or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook,
Twitter
and YouTube.
About Stand Up To Cancer
Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) raises funds to accelerate the pace of
research to get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now.
SU2C, a division of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a
501(c)(3) charitable organization, was established in 2008 by film and
media leaders who utilize the industry’s resources to engage the public
in supporting a new, collaborative model of cancer research, and to
increase awareness about cancer prevention as well as progress being
made in the fight against the disease. As SU2C’s scientific partner, the
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and a Scientific
Advisory Committee led by Nobel Laureate Phillip A. Sharp, PhD, conduct
rigorous, competitive review processes to identify the best research
proposals to recommend for funding, oversee grants administration, and
provide expert review of research progress.
Current members of the SU2C Council of Founders and Advisors (CFA)
include Katie Couric, Sherry Lansing, Lisa Paulsen, Rusty Robertson, Sue
Schwartz, Pamela Oas Williams, Ellen Ziffren, and Kathleen Lobb. The
late Laura Ziskin and the late Noreen Fraser are also co-founders. Sung
Poblete, PhD, RN, has served as SU2C’s president and CEO since 2011.
For more information on Stand Up To Cancer, visit www.StandUpToCancer.org.