From the summer 2008 issue of UCHC e-link
A dedicated group of first-year medical students are about halfway through a cross-country bike ride to raise funds for leukemia research and care.
The annual “Coast to Coast for a Cure” ride began in 2006 through the inspiration of Jeremiah Tracy and Ben Ristau, students at the UConn School of Medicine. The pair raised more than $20,000 to support Hartford-based Lea’s Foundation for Leukemia Research.
The 2008 Coast to Coast for a Cure team are all first-year medical students. Alex Burn, Russ Johanson, Daniel Morris and Sarah Steenbergen of the UConn School of Medicine are joined on the ride by Jen Feige, who will begin medical school at the University of Maryland in the fall.
In Missouri at the time of this writing, the team has maintained a blog with photos and a journal of their travels at: http://coasttocoast2008.blogspot.com
Funds raised by the 2008 ride will be donated to Lea’s Foundation for Leukemia Research to support the continued development of the Lea’s Foundation Center for Hematologic Disorders at the UConn Health Center. The Center serves patients with benign and malignant blood disorders.
Rider Daniel Morris says that he’s seen the benefits of research firsthand through past volunteer work with pediatric cancer patients and their families.
"I am a strong believer in the positive impact of cancer research on future treatment and care for those in need,” says Morris. “It’s exciting to embark on what will certainly be an exciting adventure and a great learning experience for all of us."
The riders left San Francisco on June 13 and will return to the UConn Health Center on August 23. From Farmington, they will then bike the final leg of their journey to Milford, Conn. with a team of friends, family and supporters of Lea’s Foundation.
Lea’s Foundation for Leukemia Research is a Hartford-based nonprofit organization established to fund meaningful research projects that aim to find new treatments for leukemia, Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and myeloma. It was founded in 1998 to honor the memory of Lea Michele Economos, who fell victim to leukemia at the age of 28. The Foundation made a $1.25-million donation in 2007 to make the Lea’s Foundation Center at the UConn Health Center possible.
