LOWVELO23 registration opens April 3, take advantage of early bird rate for first 24 hours
Jennifer Wilson
| March 31, 2023
LOWVELO is ready to roll for its fifth year, with registration opening on Monday, April 3. For the first 24 hours only, participants will receive both free registration and the lowest fundraising minimum, no matter the route – only $300. Once again, cancer patients, survivors and students will have a fundraising minimum of just $250, no matter when they sign up or which route they choose. LOWVELO rallies the entire community behind one amazing cause – lifesaving cancer research. Riders commit to the cause by raising at least a minimum amount, based on their chosen distances.
“The impact of LOWVELO is tremendous,” said Raymond DuBois, M.D., Ph.D., director of MUSC Hollings Cancer Center. “The dollars raised by riders are going straight to cutting-edge research projects that will shape the future of cancer treatment. I want every participant of LOWVELO to know that they are truly making a difference by being a part of this event.”
Last year, participants raised $433,000 to support cancer research at Hollings Cancer Center. With 891 participants, 105 teams and $1.6 million raised by riders and sponsors combined, LOWVELO22 was an undeniable success.
“I think if you ask any returning participant of LOWVELO, they will tell you that 2022 was, without a doubt, the best year yet. We had record-breaking numbers, a group of amazing sponsors, vendors and volunteers and most importantly, perfect weather. We are excited to work hard and come back bigger and better than ever for our fifth annual event this November,” said Debbie Bordeau, director of development at Hollings.
This year’s event will take place on Saturday, Nov. 4, and anyone can join in the fun by choosing from one of four cycling routes or by participating virtually. The rides for 2023 include 10-mile, 23-mile, 50-mile and 80-mile routes.
If you choose to be a virtual participant, you’ll be a part of the “Home Team” and will be able to ride on your own terms – and from anywhere in the world. Home Team members can complete any distance wherever and however they want. Also, children as young as 8 can participate in the 10-mile Island Ride with a registered adult rider. Riders of all ages, backgrounds and experience levels are welcome. You don’t even need your own bicycle to participate in LOWVELO. Any rider who takes part in the 10-mile Island Ride can get a free bike rental for the ride.
Following the ride, there will be a finish line block party on Isle of Palms with live music, delicious food and drinks, fun giveaways and plenty of camaraderie to celebrate cancer survivors and honor loved ones lost. Riders also get the chance to mingle and celebrate with MUSC doctors, nurses and other health care providers who may have treated them or a loved one.
LOWVELO rider Aron Kuch, whose wife, Heather, passed from thymic cancer in 2022, rode for the first time that same year. He was also the top fundraiser for the year, bringing in over $25,000. Kuch will be returning to ride in 2023 in Heather’s memory, once again raising funds in hopes of providing more treatment options for the next family like his that has to fight this disease.
“I ride because research brings new treatments, and new treatments bring hope for that next family that’s going through what we went through. I think Heather would definitely be excited about the funds that we’ve raised for research,” said Kuch.
Because 100% of rider-raised dollars go directly to cancer research at Hollings, Aron – along with every LOWVELO participant – knows that his efforts will have an impact on cancer research, and that the dollars he worked hard to raise will provide more hope and options for patients.
Since the event’s inception in 2019, several critical research projects have been funded at Hollings. In 2021, LOWVELO funded a $50,000 research grant to create purified versions of CAR-T-cells, which are used to treat certain leukemia and lymphoma patients. Other studies that have been supported by LOWVELO include a project that is aiming to understand the causes of colon cancer more fully and another to increase the body’s immune response to head and neck cancers.
Benjamin Toll, Ph.D., is a professor of Public Health Sciences and Psychiatry, co-director of the Lung Cancer Screening Program and chief of Tobacco Cessation and Health Behaviors at Hollings. He has also participated in LOWVELO every year since 2019.
“I ride in LOWVELO to honor all my patients and family members who have passed on from cancer, to fund desperately needed cancer research, to encourage oncology-oriented education in South Carolina, and to be a part of our amazing MUSC Hollings Cancer Center community. I ride for a cause much bigger than me – to prevent and cure human cancers,” said Toll.
