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Fri Jan 24, 2014 7:24 pm

This is the second year that I'm participating in Cycle for Survival which raises funds for rare cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Center Center.

Last year I got involved too late to do any fund raising, but this year registration opened yesterday so I'm getting started immediately.

The actual event involves (4) 45 minute session on a Spin Bike. You're in a crowed gym with twice as many people that should be there, sweating your brains out and totally exhausted by the end. This pales to the ordeal cancer patients endure.

I got involved last year when my friend Sue's sister, Maria invited me to join her team. I've known Sue since i was high school. In January of 2011 when was diagnosed with a glioblastoma, Brain Cancer, and has had to have the tumor removed twice. It has not grown back since even though the average survival rate is 15 months. You are never cured and it's a constant battle dealing with the stress and impact on your body with all the medication you're on.

Last August she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and had a double mastectomy in September. Even though the tumor was only in one breast she opted to have both removed because she just doesn't have time to deal with it. Yesterday she had her last chemo treatment and today she was told she did not need radiation. When she went for a consult with the radiologist, it was the same one that did it for the brain cancer, she said he was surprised that she was still alive.

Lest year our team raised $10,000, with one bike, of which I didn't have time to contribute. This year we have 2 bikes. I set a very modest goal of $2000 and have already raised over $1200, but I hope to raise it as I reach out to family, friends, the VW community and business contacts.

Cycle for Survival has a team and personal web page, you can read about the event, where the money goes and some of the reasons why i'm doing this.

http://mskcc.convio.net/goto/glennring

No amount is too small.

We have all been personally touched by cancer and with more research we can offer those suffering from it with hope and quality of life.

Sat Jan 25, 2014 12:28 am

Awesome. Thanks Glenn. What a great way too raise money and show support.

Locally we are doing all we can to support a 12 year old girl with very aggressive cancer. It has been amazing seeing the hundreds of people who have turned out to various fund raising events. Every kid in town has done something to help. When it comes right down to it, there are a lot of good caring people out in the world, despite what the news says.

Keep up the fight Glenn.

Sat Jan 25, 2014 8:14 am

This is a really exciting time for cancer research. Gene therapy is at the leading edge of treatment. It helps the body fight the cancer cells on its own instead of chemo and radiation which greatly weakens the body.

New treatments are just over the horizon, but there needs to be more research.

The bottom line is $$$$ = cure.

Sun Jan 26, 2014 7:00 am

Thanks Chris for your more than generous donation.

I'm almost there.

Sun Jan 26, 2014 8:13 am

Good for you Glen for doing this. I lost my mother to lung cancer last year and it finally brought to light just have prevalent this horrible disease is.

Question- can I send a check versus donating on this site? If so, please PM me the info to do this.

Sun Jan 26, 2014 8:31 am

wcfvw69 wrote: Good for you Glen for doing this. I lost my mother to lung cancer last year and it finally brought to light just have prevalent this horrible disease is.

Question- can I send a check versus donating on this site? If so, please PM me the info to do this.
Sure....

Make the check out to:
Cycle for Survival
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

Sun Jan 26, 2014 9:40 am

Thanks for your part, Glenn
Raising money and awareness = HOPE
Cancer runs rampant in my family, have lost family members to this horrible disease but some have survived do to efforts like this.

Sun Jan 26, 2014 9:58 am

My father died of prostate cancer at the age of 53. He knew he had a problem but waited anyway. By the time he went to a doctor he had Stage 4 Prostate Cancer. It was 2 long years of unspeakable treatments trying to prolong his life. At the end it was a relief that he was finally at rest.

It runs in my family, all the males have had it by their 60s. I've been getting checked since my mid 40s.

I was told that its a good idea to have a colonoscopy at age 50 for a baseline. I put it off and finally at a good friend's instance I had one. After the doctor came in and asked why I decided to have one so i told him I thought it was time. He said he found a precancerous polyp about 1" in diameter and if i waited longer i would of had cancer. I was luck to have it removed by a specialist in NYC and now after 5 years and a number of rechecks i've had no regrowth.

My point is research and education are the keys to prevention and cures.

My friend Sue has so far beaten the odd and is in the 1/10 percentile of people that have survived with a gleoblastomer. This is the same cancer that killed Mets catcher Gary Carter in less than a year. She's not cured and never will be but she's a fighter.

Join the battle and hopefully our generation and future generations will not see cancer as a sure death.

Don't think for a minute that if you're in your twenty's you have nothing to worry about. Just read how cancer took Brad "HamburgerBrad" Williams at the young age of 25.

Sun Jan 26, 2014 12:46 pm

My Dad who is 74 has had precancerous polyp's. I'm 45 and had my first colonoscopy last october. It runs in our family as well. Worst part is the prep, far better than the alternative.

Thanks for doing this Glenn

Sun Jan 26, 2014 1:00 pm

here's a picture from last year.

the event is a rush and if you can do it next year.... do so.

Sun Jan 26, 2014 1:57 pm

I'd like to thank Jen And Ev for they're donation along with Richard Forsyth.

Every dollar helps.

Besides raising money I hope i'm raising awareness.

So far, Cycle for survival has raised $6.8m and there's still 5 weeks to the event.

Sun Jan 26, 2014 4:04 pm

Thanks Dennis, i'm almost at my goal.

I might have to raise it for the 3rd time with everyone's generous donations.

Mon Jan 27, 2014 6:13 am

Just got a check from a co-worker that puts me over my goal of raising $2000.

It's time to increase the goal since i still have 5 weeks before the event.

Mon Jan 27, 2014 9:38 am

Thanks to Joseph Garcia.

Mon Jan 27, 2014 10:02 am

My pleasure. Get that heart rate up!

Mon Jan 27, 2014 8:57 pm

I had to raise my goal to $2500 and looks like i'll be raising it again.

Thanks to everyone for their generous donations. And know that 100% goes to cancer research.

Fri Jan 31, 2014 10:44 am

Thanks Lou Miller, Your donation along with the 2 checks I had mailed to me puts me over the top. So i'll have to raise my goal... again.

Mon Feb 03, 2014 9:58 am

Our team has just passed our goal of raising $10,000.

Thanks to all, not we need to keep the momentum going. The event is not till March 1st.

Fri Feb 07, 2014 3:53 pm

Time to raise the bar again. I am totally amazed at the generosity of family, friends and total strangers.

With the $200 in checks I just mailed in we just passed $15,000. And there's still 3 weeks left, so if anyone wants to donate.. please do.

Sun Feb 09, 2014 8:00 pm