‘Great Cycle Challenge’ hopes to put an end to childhood cancer, honoring children who’ve passed

Local cyclist with the group Joe Strong is joining the nationwide effort to help cure childhood cancer.

Joe Strong is a team of cyclists right here in Jacksonville raising money through long-distance rides to help end childhood cancer.

Joe Strong is in memory of Jacksonville’s Joe DeWaele who died at 9 years old in November 2019 after 9-months of cancer. His legacy is giving people the strength to keep fighting for other children who are still living with cancer.

Joe Strong ties in with the Great Cycle Challenge, which has families around the country and right here in Jacksonville joining in with The Children’s Cancer Research Fund.

“Every year riders across the country pledge to ride as many miles as they challenge themselves and raise as much money as they can challenge themselves,” says Ricardo Andreu.

One of the Great Cycle Challenge riders, Brian Stephens has pledged to ride 600 miles in memory of Joe DeWaele.

“Did you ever get to meet Joe?”

“No, I did not. When I first found out and saw his story it was devastating to me, you know? He was diagnosed in March and had passed by November,” said Stephens.

Since Joe’s passing, local cyclists have been doing their part to help other kids, like 5-year-olds Lily and Bryce. They are two young children from Jacksonville who have cancer.

“The adults are bad enough but to have it happen to a 3-year-old child, it’s devastating,” said Stephens.

This year Joe Strong has 95 riders and has raised $280,000 trying to find a cure for childhood cancer.

“Cancer research (in children) gets about 4% of the government funds for cancer research, which is not enough. That 4% can only be applied to research and development that is in the ending stages,” said Andreu.

Ricardo says more money is needed to develop treatments designed to kill cancer in bodies that aren’t fully developed, like a child’s. Ricardo’s employer is donating funds to match the miles completed today.

Now, remember, Sunday’s cycling is in remembrance of Joe DeWaele and in support of Lily and Bryce. If you’d like to help out other kids, you can hop on a bike from Sept. 1-30 and trade in your miles for dollars to help fund research for a cure to end childhood cancer.

“It’s greatcyclechallenge.com,” said Andreu.

From there you can either sign up to ride around Jax or donate money directly to the children’s cancer research fund.

Sunday Joe Strong’s cyclist will be biking through Baldwin trail. If you would like to track your miles, you can download the Great Cycle Challenge app. That app will link with another: you can choose from Strava or Map My Ride, which is where your miles will be exchanged for dollars.

This year the challenge will take place throughout the month of September. In 7 years, our community of riders from all 50 states has ridden a total of 25,647,476 miles, and together we’ve raised $52,524,379 in support of research to develop better treatments and find a cure for childhood cancer.

Click here to learn more information about team #JOESTRONG.

Click here to learn more about the initiative to fight childhood cancer.

Also read: Local cyclist competes in challenge, rides in honor of 9-year-old who lost battle to cancer

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