Pelotonia Total Tops $42 Million in Just Four Years
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.
This year’s tally brings the four-year fundraising total for Pelotonia, which began in 2009, to more than $42 million. Pelotonia 12, which took place Aug. 10-12 on routes between Columbus and Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, 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. Measured by riders, Pelotonia this year became the largest single-event biking fundraiser in the nation.
Participants included a record 1,635 members of Team Buckeye, the official superpeloton (riding group) for The Ohio State University. The team included 1,198 riders, 336 virtual riders and 101 volunteers. Team Buckeye comprised 84 pelotons and collectively raised more than $2.1 million.
“Everyone associated with Pelotonia should be proud of what we are accomplishing,” says OSUCCC Director and James CEO Michael A. Caligiuri, MD. “At a time when government funding for cancer research is hard to obtain, we have stepped forward to raise money ourselves. And not just a little money: more than $42 million in four years is the kind of financial firepower that enables us to confidently proclaim that we will one day conquer this disease in its many forms.”
Thanks to 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 — 100 percent of every dollar raised by Pelotonia goes to support cancer research at the OSUCCC – James. Pelotonia 13 is scheduled for Aug. 9-11. Register at www.pelotonia.org
The James Earns ‘Top Hospital’ Status for Fifth Time in Six Years
For the fourth consecutive year, and the fifth time in six years, the OSUCCC – James has been named one of the safest and most effective hospitals in the country by The Leapfrog Group, a national consortium of Fortune 500 companies that pay for health care needs for an estimated 37 million Americans.
Only one other cancer hospital has earned this honor four years in a row. The James is among 92 hospitals from a field of almost 1,200 to be named 2012 Leapfrog Top Hospitals based upon a rating system that provides an up-to-the-minute assessment of a hospital’s quality and safety. A complete list of 2012 Leapfrog Top Hospitals can be viewed at www.leapfroggroup.org