Inaugural bike ride supporting pediatric cancer research kicks off in April

Contact: Eileen Teves, 210-450-7239, tevese@uthscsa.edu

SAN ANTONIO, March 28, 2022 – UT Health San Antonio’s Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI) is hosting its inaugural cycling event, Gear Up Against Kids Cancer, on Saturday, April 2.

Cyclists will gather at the Floresville Event Center where the bike ride will begin and end. Riders will take either a 28-mile or 38-mile route through scenic roads of Wilson County, Texas.

Created to help raise awareness for childhood cancer, Gear Up Against Kids Cancer supports GCCRI’s mission to turn today’s research into tomorrow’s treatments. Proceeds from the bike ride will be used to provide seed funding for innovative research projects, especially those projects deemed riskier but with high potential for transformation impact.

Since 2004, GCCRI has been home to groundbreaking research to advance scientific knowledge of childhood cancer, understand its causes, and develop new treatments.

Dr. Greg Aune
Gregory Aune, M.D., Ph.D., pointing, works in his lab at UT Health San Antonio’s Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute. Dr. Aune is a pediatrics faculty member in the university’s Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine.

The bike event’s spokesperson, Dr. Gregory Aune was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma at age 16. His experiences as a patient motivated him to pursue research and a clinical career in pediatric oncology with a long-term goal of developing less toxic chemotherapy regimens. Dr. Aune developed severe cardiac complications from chemotherapy and required open-heart surgery at age 35, further focusing his research interests in cardiac disease.

“Our team is committed to working together to improve outcomes and overall quality of life for childhood cancer patients, survivors, and their families,” said Gregory Aune, M.D., Ph.D., pediatric oncologist, and physician scientist at UT Health San Antonio’s Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute. “As a pediatric cancer survivor, my life mission is dedicated to helping young cancer patients who are battling the most challenging fight of their lives. We encourage cyclists to help gear up against cancer and help us raise awareness for our childhood cancer research efforts being conducted right here in San Antonio and South Texas.”

According to the National Cancer Institute, cancer in children is rare, but it is the leading cause of death by disease past infancy among children in the United States. In 2021, an estimated 15,590 children and adolescents ages 0 to 19 will be diagnosed with cancer. Childhood cancer also affects the family with a financial impact of hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses for treatments and hospitalizations.

Cyclists of all levels are invited to participate in Gear Up Against Kids Cancer. The bike ride starts at 8:00 a.m. Interested riders will meet at the Floresville Event Center, located at 600 SH 97 West. For more information or to register for the event, visit GearUpAgainstKidsCancer.org.

 

 


The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, also referred to as UT Health San Antonio, is one of the country’s leading health sciences universities and is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. With missions of teaching, research, patient care and community engagement, its schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have graduated 39,700 alumni who are leading change, advancing their fields, and renewing hope for patients and their families throughout South Texas and the world. To learn about the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit http://www.uthscsa.edu.

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