Fred Hutch Obliteride invites community to bike, walk, run and fundraise on Aug. 10

Record-breaking season unites thousands to raise money for cancer prevention, detection, treatment and cures

Seattle — July 11, 2024 — Obliteride, Fred Hutch Cancer Center’s 12th annual bike ride and 5K walk/run, is expecting a record-breaking 5,000 participants to join the event on Saturday, Aug. 10, in Seattle.

“Obliteride brings together a powerful, one-of-a-kind community,” said Kelly O’Brien, vice president of Philanthropy at Fred Hutch. “Our momentum this year is a testament to our participants’ dedication to advancing cancer prevention, detection, treatment and cures. The energy Obliteriders bring to this outstanding event is inspiring and their fundraising matters. Every dollar they raise is critical to Fred Hutch’s work to unite research and care, serve patients and communities, and help cure cancer faster.”

Registration for the popular 5K walk/run option will close on Thursday, July 25. Registration for the 25-, 50-, and 100-mile bike routes and the virtual option is expected to remain open until Saturday, Aug. 10. Registration discounts are available for those who currently have or previously had cancer.

Participants can choose to fundraise for a specific area of work at Fred Hutch that is most meaningful to them, including a specific disease area, program, researcher or clinician. Since 2013, more than 104,000 Obliteride participants, donors, sponsors and supporters have raised $48 million for Fred Hutch. Every dollar participants raise goes directly to work, thanks to generous event sponsors and supporters.

To date, Obliteride funds have fueled new approaches for breast, colon, pancreatic, prostate and other cancers; advances in data science; community partnerships that improve health; therapies that retrain the body’s immune cells to attack cancers; and insights into diet, genetics, environmental factors and cancer risk.

“People don’t experience cancer alone, they experience cancer as part of a workplace, a family, a community,” said Thomas J. Lynch Jr., MD, Fred Hutch president and director and holder of the Raisbeck Endowed Chair. “Obliteride is a way for everybody to get involved. The pride and the joy that it brings people is remarkable. Obliteriders also support some of Fred Hutch’s most groundbreaking work. Grants only cover about 70% of the cost of the lifesaving advances we are pursuing here. Obliteriders’ fundraising matters.”

Participants are invited to a Friday night party at Gas Works Park on Aug. 9, featuring a catered dinner, live entertainment from The Blue Wave Band and a chance to connect with other participants. The main event on Aug. 10 begins at 6:30 a.m. with route start times based on participation type and distance. All routes begin at the University of Washington and end with a finish-line celebration at Gas Works Park.

To learn more, register, or donate, visit Obliteride.org.

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Media Contact:
Kat Wynn
kwynn@fredhutch.org

Fred Hutch Cancer Center

Fred Hutch Cancer Center unites individualized care and advanced research to provide the latest cancer treatment options while accelerating discoveries that prevent, treat and cure cancer and infectious diseases worldwide.

Based in Seattle, Fred Hutch is an independent, nonprofit organization and the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in Washington. We have earned a global reputation for our track record of discoveries in cancer, infectious disease and basic research, including important advances in bone marrow transplantation, immunotherapy, HIV/AIDS prevention and COVID-19 vaccines. Fred Hutch operates eight clinical care sites that provide medical oncology, infusion, radiation, proton therapy and related services. Fred Hutch also serves as UW Medicine’s cancer program.