Hopkins 4K for Cancer
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| Hopkins 4K for Cancer | |
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| Type | Private charitable foundation |
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| Founded | 2001 |
| Headquarters | Baltimore, Maryland |
| Website | hopkins4k.org |
The Hopkins 4K for Cancer is a non-profit organization dedicated to uniting communities across the country in the fight against cancer by spreading awareness, raising funds, and fostering hope. It is made up of primarily college students from around the country who, every summer, embark on a 4,000-mile bicycle trek from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California in order to raise money for the American Cancer Society's Hope Lodge in Baltimore.
Each morning the riders wake up early and bike 70 to 110 miles through America’s landscape. On the road they dedicate much of their time to community service, such as helping with the Relay for Life in Cleveland, OH and visiting cancer patients at the Midland Hospice in Topeka, KS. They make nightly stops in churches and community centers, recuperating and sharing experiences with their hosts.
Hopkins 4K for Cancer dedicates its proceeds each year towards various cancer related organizations that its riders are dedicated to.
[edit] History
The organization began in the fall of 2001 when co-founders Leah Blom and Ryan Hanley, sophomores at Johns Hopkins University, decided to combine their desire to do their part in the fight against cancer with their dream of cycling across the United States. This 4,000-mile journey from Baltimore to San Francisco was inspired by the memory of Ryan’s father, the late John Hanley, who died in 1995 from cancer.
In two years, the Hopkins 4K for Cancer has raised over $100,000 for cancer research. During this time, the Hopkins 4K has been recognized with several awards. In their first year, they were named the American Cancer Society’s “Special Event of the Year” and were presented with the first ever Pioneer Award, an honor specially created for their “innovative, creative, and trailblazing efforts in the fight against cancer.” Last year, they received the “Outstanding Youths in Philanthropy Award” from the Association of Fundraising Professionals as well as the Excalibur Award from the ACS for exceptional dedication to the fight against cancer.
