CONTACTS
City of Hope
Zen Logsdon
zlogsdon@coh.org
626-409-9367
SLATE PR
Julia Rossen
JuliaR@slate-pr.com
310-922-4356
Taking place on July 23 in partnership with Rapha at Rapha Clubhouse locations in Santa Monica and New York
LOS ANGELES—City of Hope, one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States and a leading research center for diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses, announced today that the second annual “Ride With Josh” fundraising bike ride will take place on July 23 in partnership with cycling brand Rapha. Following the success of last year’s virtual ride and fundraiser, which raised over $22,000, this is the first in-person “Ride With Josh” and will launch from Rapha’s store locations in both Santa Monica and New York.
“Ride With Josh” was founded by Sterling Simms, vice president of A&R at Columbia Records. Simms, who sits on City of Hope's Future Hope Committee, named the ride in honor of his late brother Joshua, who lost his battle with diabetes at age 19. Inspired by this cause, Rapha and City of Hope’s Music, Film and Entertainment Industries group have joined together to raise awareness for the disease and fundraise for research that may help lead to cures for a chronic condition which affects 1 in 10 Americans.
“I lost my baby brother prematurely to diabetes. One of the last things we got to do together was ride bikes,” Simms said. “‘Ride With Josh’ allows me to keep the memory of my brother alive while spreading awareness to a condition that affects so many of us.”
Nearly 40 million Americans — about 11% of the U.S. population — have diabetes, a chronic condition in which their bodies either don’t produce or properly use insulin. Today, the number of people with diabetes is higher than it has ever been, and many more are at risk for developing the disease.
All proceeds from “Ride With Josh” will benefit the Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute at City of Hope. Innovation in treatment and understanding of diabetes has been a hallmark of City of Hope for 50 years — most notably through the groundbreaking work of the late Arthur Riggs, Ph.D., and others who led to the development of the first synthetic human insulin, a biomedical breakthrough that changed the lives of people with diabetes around the world. Today, City of Hope is tackling diabetes on multiple fronts — halting or reversing both type 1 and type 2, addressing dangerous complications that arise, and researching how to prevent the disease altogether. Riggs made a gift of $100 million in 2021 to continue and accelerate leading-edge diabetes research at City of Hope.
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About City of Hope
City of Hope's mission is to deliver the cures of tomorrow to the people who need them today. Founded in 1913, City of Hope has grown into one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the U.S. and one of the leading research centers for diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses. As an independent, National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, City of Hope brings a uniquely integrated model to patients, spanning cancer care, research and development, academics and training, and innovation initiatives. Research and technology developed at City of Hope has been the basis for numerous breakthrough cancer medicines, as well as human synthetic insulin and monoclonal antibodies. A leader in bone marrow transplantation and immunotherapy, such as CAR T cell therapy, City of Hope’s personalized treatment protocols help advance cancer care throughout the world.
With a goal of expanding access to the latest discoveries and leading-edge care to more patients, families and communities, City of Hope’s growing national system includes its main Los Angeles campus, a network of clinical care locations across Southern California, a new cancer center in Orange County, California, scheduled to open in 2022, and Cancer Treatment Centers of America. City of Hope’s affiliated family of organizations includes Translational Genomics Research Institute and AccessHopeTM. For more information about City of Hope, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
About the Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute
City of Hope is home to the Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute — one of the world’s foremost scientific organizations dedicated to investigating the biology of diabetes and its treatment. City of Hope scientists, which included the late Arthur Riggs, Ph.D., a preeminent researcher and biotechnology pioneer, were responsible for developing the technology that led to the first synthetic human insulin — a breakthrough that enabled mass production of insulin for people with diabetes. That discovery, which jump-started what is now a $500 billion global biotech industry, was followed by numerous firsts in the field of biomedical science. Today, synthetic insulin is used regularly by hundreds of millions of people.
About Rapha
Founded by Simon Mottram in London in 2004, Rapha makes the world’s finest cycling clothing. For 15 years, our products have redefined comfort, performance and style for cyclists from absolute beginners through to WorldTour professionals.
Born from a love of the sport, Rapha regularly organizes and sponsors unique rides and events. The Rapha Cycling Club was founded in 2015 to bring cyclists together, and today there are already more than 17,000 members worldwide. Our 21 Clubhouses across Europe, North America and Asia have become hubs for RCC members and local cyclists, offering a café space and stocking the latest products.