TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – “Very early” registration for a cycling challenge to raise funds for cancer prevention research, cancer patient support and support for hungry children is now open, and cyclists in Tampa can sign up now.
The Pan-Florida Challenge Cancer Ride takes place annually in March. This year’s dates are March 25-26. Very early registration is now open for the routes in Tampa, as well as Naples. It offers the lowest registration fees and fundraising goals available for the event.
The challenge in Tampa includes a 10-mile, 30-mile, 62-mile or 100-mile ride, all with different fundraising goals. Virtual 10-mile challenges are available as well. All Tampa rides will start and finish in the Telecom Parkway area. Proceeds from the ride will benefit Moffitt Cancer Center.
The ride brings together dedicated cyclists of all skill levels, all with a mission to fight cancer.
Executive Director Jeri Goetz explained to News Channel 8 in December of last year, the nonprofit was originally founded as a hunger relief organization. In 2014, a group of cyclists rode across the state without stopping for a fundraiser to provide 134,000 meals for children in Haiti. The ride gave one of the cyclists, Pan-Florida Challenge founder Ed Mullen, the inspiration for his own organization.
Through the years, the Pan-Florida Challenge began looking beyond feeding hungry kids to address health repercussions of malnutrition, including cancer.
All riders must meet a minimum fundraising goal to participate, aside from the 10-mile riders in Tampa.
“We ask riders to fundraise for the cause and one of the things that makes our charity ride different from others is that 100% of the funds that riders raise go directly to supporting the mission,” Goetz said.
Very early registration for the Pan-Florida Challenge ends Nov. 30, and early registration runs through Dec. 15. You can find out more about the Pan-Florida Challenge on its website.
