Taking place on Sunday, July 28, in partnership with Rapha at Rapha Clubhouse location in Santa Monica, California
CONTACT
City of Hope
Bridget Livengood
626-232-2498
[email protected]
SLATE PR
Julia Roseen/Ida Bo Frazier
[email protected]
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 fourth annual “Ride With Josh” fundraising bike ride will take place on Sunday, July 28, in partnership with cycling brand Rapha and additional support from Gatorade.
The 2024 ride will launch from Rapha’s store location in Santa Monica, offering three rides for all skill levels, including beginner, intermediate and advanced. Bike riders who cannot join are encouraged to donate and participate in their own way, be it taking their bikes for a ride where they live or doing a virtual ride.
Register today or donate to join the fight to find cures for diabetes!
Now in its fourth year, Ride With Josh has raised over $50,000 to support City of Hope’s Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute, whose mission is to advance new discoveries and innovative treatments for people with diabetes. City of Hope researchers are identifying the links between diabetes and cancer with the goal of improving patient outcomes, potentially through earlier detection when diseases are potentially curable.
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 Industry group have come together to raise awareness for diabetes and fundraise for research that may help lead to cures for a condition that affects 1 in 10 Americans.
“I lost my baby brother prematurely to diabetes when he was just 19 years old. 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 and that continues to climb in numbers in America.”
Nearly 40 million Americans — about 11.6% 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 of developing the disease.
All proceeds from Ride With Josh will benefit City of Hope’s Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute. Innovation in treatment and improving 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 that 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 accelerating leading-edge diabetes research at City of Hope.
To register and to learn more, please visit ourhope.CityofHope.org/rwj.
Led by the event’s founder Simms, the Ride With Josh Committee has grown to include Kevin Shivers, Partner at William Morris Endeavor and MFEI Executive Board Member, Nicole Nolletti, music industry veteran, Mark Alford, Marketing US West Coast at Rapha Los Angeles, and Sabrina Thomas, Director of Artist Management, Culture Collective.
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About City of Hope
City of Hope's mission is to make hope a reality for all touched by cancer and diabetes. 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. City of Hope research has been the basis for numerous breakthrough cancer medicines, as well as human synthetic insulin and monoclonal antibodies. With an independent, National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center at its core, City of Hope brings a uniquely integrated model to patients spanning cancer care, research and development, academics and training, and innovation initiatives. City of Hope’s growing national system includes its Los Angeles campus, a network of clinical care locations across Southern California, a new cancer center in Orange County, California, and cancer treatment centers and outpatient facilities in the Atlanta, Chicago and Phoenix areas. City of Hope’s affiliated group of organizations includes Translational Genomics Research Institute and AccessHopeTM. For more information about City of Hope, follow us on Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
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 (RCC) 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.