4-Year Total Surpasses $42 Million

Pelotonia 12 Tally Tops $16 Million

BY BOB HECKER

Riders, virtual riders and donors in Pelotonia 12, the annual grassroots bicycle tour that generates money for cancer research at the OSUCCC – James, raised a record $16,871,403, a 28-percent increase over the Pelotonia 11 total of $13.1 million.

The Pelotonia 12 tally brought the four-year fundraising total for Pelotonia, which began in 2009, to more than $42 million. Pelotonia 12 drew a record 6,212 riders from 43 states and three countries, as well as 3,141 virtual riders and more than 2,000 volunteers. The riders were supported by more than 80,000 donors.

The event also featured new routes and destinations. In the first three Pelotonias, the routes went to the south, circulating between central Ohio and Ohio University in Athens. But last year’s tour took a northerly direction and offered six ride options, with the longest extending from Columbus to Gambier, Ohio – the home of Kenyon College.

The routes for Pelotonia 13, scheduled for Aug. 9-11, will be virtually the same as they were for Pelotonia 12. Measured by riders, Pelotonia 12 became the nation’s largest single-event biking fundraiser. Among the riders were a record 1,635 members of Team Buckeye, the official superpeloton (riding group) of The Ohio State University – a team that included 1,198 riders, 336 virtual riders and 101 volunteers. Team Buckeye comprised 84 pelotons that collectively raised more than $2.1 million of the Pelotonia 12 total. Thanks to the event’s generous sponsors – Huntington Bank, Limited Brands Foundation, Richard and Peggy Santulli, American Electric Power Foundation, Nationwide Insurance, Cardinal Health Foundation, JP Morgan Chase and The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company – Pelotonia can direct every dollar raised by riders, virtual riders and donors to the OSUCCC – James for cancer research.

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Pelotonia Financial Summary

In its first four years, Pelotonia has generated more than $42 million for cancer research at the OSUCCC – James through rider pledges and donations. Each of the bicycle tour’s first four years saw an increase in riders, volunteers and dollars raised: 2009 – 2,250 riders, 1,200 volunteers, $4.5 million; 2010 – 4,047 riders, 1,600 volunteers, $7.8 million; 2011 – 4,986 riders, 1,700 volunteers, $13.1 million; 2012 – 6,212 riders, 2,000 volunteers, $16.9 million. Thanks to the event’s generous underwriters, every dollar raised by riders and donors has been or will be committed to research-related expenditures. Funds raised in Pelotonia 12 have not yet been totally allocated. The chart shown to the left reflects funding allocations from Pelotonia 09, 10 and 11.

 

Investing in the Next Generation: Pelotonia Fellowship Program

To date, $5 million has been allocated to the Pelotonia Fellowship Program, which provides research money for Ohio State students at all levels of scholarship – undergraduate, graduate, medical school and postdoctoral fellows – who want to conduct cancer research in the labs of faculty mentors.

Spanning the University

Pelotonia fellowship recipients may be from any discipline of study. Students from eight colleges and 38 departments at Ohio State have received fellowships funded by money raised in Pelotonia. The above chart shows a breakdown of colleges receiving fellowship grants.