Runners turned out for the 7th Annual Community Cancer Awareness Ride & Run to support cancer survivors and fighters Saturday at the Brownsville Events Center.
The event, split across two days, featured a 10K, 5K and 1-mile Fun Run on Saturday and a 25-mile bike ride on Sunday starting at 7 a.m., with proceeds going back into the community to help local families dealing with cancer.
According to member Ben Del Angel, the nonprofit group City Cruisers Cycling Friends started the event after a friend at the Brownsville Independent School District asked if they could help raise funds for their son with ocular cancer.
“That first year, as a cycling event only, we started raising money to help that child with ocular cancer that no other organization would help because they were low-income, without insurance and weren’t legally here,” Del Angel said.
That event raised $1,200 through 40 cyclists riding 25 miles for the cause. From that first ride, a tradition was born, and Del Angel says the group’s efforts have tried to grow the event each year.
After a slump in participation over the last two years due to the pandemic, this year saw a slow return as 300 people signed up for the 1-mile Fun Run, 250 people for the 5k and 10k combined on Saturday and about 150 people pre-registered for Sunday’s 25-mile bike ride.
While the nonprofit does several events to benefit different causes and raise awareness in the community throughout the year, raising cancer awareness is a mission close to Del Angel’s heart.
“To me, it’s a special cause because I am a cancer survivor and currently going through cancer. It’s great to see the support from the community because I’ve always said that ‘people won’t help unless it affects them personally.’ People won’t go out and say they want to help unless they have a family member go through it,” he explained.
“We are trying to change that because everybody should help because we are all human and part of this community.”
Participants pay a different fee depending on the race or bike ride event, ranging from $15-$30, which goes back to the nonprofit’s mission to raise money for community needs.
This year the money raised by the event will help five families in the community undergoing cancer treatment. Del Angel says that each family usually receives around $1,200 to help with whatever costs they may need to cover. The money—outside of aiding families that might not have health insurance, helps meet the everyday costs of care, from travel and food to paying household expenses.
”Life insurance or insurance policies don’t cover things like light bills or rent, so that’s where we come in,” he said.
Several elementary schools brought groups of students to run the event, such as Putegnat Elementary, where Coach Jose Martinez and Assistant Coach Jay Martinez brought 20 students to run the 1-mile Fun Run.
According to Coach Martinez, it has become a tradition to bring students out to the event for the past few years, interrupted only by the pandemic, with this group of students being the first since then. In his mind, it serves to get the children involved in the community and help out in a fun but impactful way.
“We’re promoting to the kids that we are helping the community with them running. Like Coach Ben [Del Angel] said at the race start: ‘you are running for somebody’,” he said.
“Putegnat is here running for Brownsville and anybody that has cancer, cancer survivors or anybody that has lost someone to cancer,” Coach Jose Martinez said.
In the sea of pink-shirted runners, many embodied this message and ran for themselves or loved ones who survived or passed from cancer.
Mary Medina, who has run the event three times, chose to run the 1-mile course in memory of her nephew, who passed away from cancer.
After crossing the finish line, Medina describes seeing the sea of people around her wearing their race medals for this cause as an empowering moment.
“It feels good and motivating to know everyone is out here to help the community,” she said in Spanish.
To donate, become a sponsor, or get more information visit www.citycruiserscycling.org.
