Pedaling against cancer: Cycle for Survival pushes it to the limit for the cause

BOSTON — A group of bicyclists pushed it to the limit to raise money for cancer research Saturday in Charlestown.

The annual Cycle for Survival returned to Boston. The cycling event raises money for rare and under-researched cancers.

The event donates 100 percent of its proceeds to cancer research at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Nearly one thousand riders participated in eight one-hour rides throughout the day at Constitution Wharf.

Boston 25′s Kerry Kavanaugh was among them.

Boston 25 News spoke with two sisters who ‘rode extreme’, doing four consecutive rides. Katelyn Bradley has a rare tumor on her gluteal muscle. She and her sister Rachael, who lives in Boston, ride every year for the cause.

“It gives us, people who are in there fighting cancer, and the families and the caregivers a fighting chance that you can do things,” Katelyn Bradley said. “And you can do hard things. And then there always is tomorrow and eventually we’re going to find that cure.”

Rachael does a lot of fundraising on her team and said as of Saturday morning, she surpassed the $100,000 mark. She says the ride is a reminder that it takes a community to overcome these rare cancers.

“Sometimes as a caregiver, you feel helpless. And this is a tangible way to make a true impact on the lives and treatments of the people we love,” Rachael Bradley says.

$337 million has been raised since Cycle for Survival was founded in 2007, according to Cycle for Survival’s website. Over 400 subtypes of cancer have been treated at MSK.

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