Cyclist to raise money for Children’s Cancer Research

Culver City resident Joel Falter will be taking part in the Great Cycle Challenge USA in June, a nationwide event that is in its third year and will see approximately 30,000 riders look to raise upwards of $4 million for the Children’s Cancer Research Fund.

 

In 2016, Falter rode 632 miles and raised nearly $14,000, making him the third highest fundraiser in the country. This year, he has set himself a goal of 700 miles and hopes to exceed that dollar amount.

 

Falter, 59 (will be 60 in July), is the chief operating officer at a transportation, planning, engineering and consulting firm and he’s lived in Culver City for 15 years. He got involved with the Great Cycle Challenge last year after reading article about it that immediately appealed to him.

 

“A lot of fundraisers are walkathons or running,” Falter said. “This was cycling and I’m passionate about riding my bike. When I read the details of establishing my own goals to raise as much as I can, I thought it was great. I generally ride before work anyway, so I just set out to do it. It’s probably the most rewarding and exciting thing I’ve ever done.”

 

Each rider sets up a page on the Great Cycle Challenge website, and pledges a number of miles that they commit to riding. They also set a funding goal, which is mutually exclusive to the mileage. At the time of writing, Falter had raised $8,701 and was $3,299 away from his goal.

 

“Unlike other events, anyone can state any number of miles they want,” Falter said. “You’re on the honor system, but there’s an app on your phone so every time you ride, it logs and updates your ride and the miles. So people will be able to see that I lived up to my commitment. A lot of people were following last year to see how I was doing. They’d egg me on, just to keep me motivated and honest.”

 

700 miles in a 30-day month means riding an average of 23.3 miles each day. That means, for Falter, getting up at 5 a.m. before work every weekday, and plotting a course.

 

“Weekends are a little easier because I can ride longer,” he said. “But getting up in the morning, it’s about getting out early enough and beating traffic. In the morning, you’re contending with rush hour traffic. I like to try to be out of people’s way.”

 

According to Sammy Steinlight, the public relations officer for the event, “During the past two years, nearly 40,000 riders in all 50 states, pedaled three million miles throughout June, raising more than $4.7 million to fund vital childhood cancer research.”

 

A statement on greatcyclechallenge.com reads, “People of all ages, abilities and from every state across the country set themselves a personal riding goal and challenge themselves to pedal throughout June to fight kids’ cancer. In 2 years, our community of 39,284 riders from all 50 states have ridden a total of 3,397,199 miles, and together we’ve raised $4,717,515 in support of research to develop better treatments and find a cure for childhood cancer. Why? Because over 15,700 American children are diagnosed with cancer every year, and sadly, 38 children die every week.”

 

Anyone can get involved, regardless of your personal riding level. Visit greatcyclechallenge.com for more information.