Heather Hardman is a Senior at Mississippi State University. In the summer of 2017, she will be traveling with a group of college-aged students on a 70-day, 4000+ mile ride from Baltimore to Seattle, raising money and awareness for the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults.
What is your connection to the cancer community?
Cancer awareness is really important to me because my childhood figure skating coach was diagnosed with breast cancer at an early age. She showed nothing but strength and perseverance to fight through it and it was very inspirational. My grandmother is a lung cancer survivor and my mother had her thyroid removed becuase of a possible cancerous condition. My best friend has been diagnosed with melanoma once, in 2 locations, and has had carcinomas and several dysplastic nevus. They are some of the strongest people I know.
Why are you traveling over 4000 miles this summer with the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults?
At our age, we don't really worry about getting cancer; therefore, we aren't being proactive. By traveling 4K across the US this summer, I will be able to fundraise for the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults, as well as spread awareness on my college campus and through my social networks. I will be pushing boundaries physically that I didn't know were possible, but I am healthy and I want to use it to do something much larger than myself this summer. I know going into this trip I hope to change lives, but I know mine will be changed in the process.
2017 marks the 16th year of the 4K for Cancer sending young adults on journeys across the country in an effort to inspire hope and unite communities in the fight against cancer. The 4K for Cancer is a program of The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults (UCF). Interested in joining the fight? Apply to be a rider or runner at www.4kforcancer.org!
Challenge:
Over 70,000 young adults are diagnosed with cancer every year. Young adults (ages 15-39) face a variety of unique challenges with a cancer diagnosis including fertility preservation, social isolation, lack of insurance, delayed diagnosis, and more.
Solution:
The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults changes lives by creating a community of support for young adults, and their loved ones, impacted by cancer. With your support, the Ulman Cancer Fund is able to provide free support services and resources for the young adult cancer community including:
Cancer to 5K - a 12-week training program designed to introduce or reintroduce cancer survivors to physical activity.
Patient Navigation - a free program (onsite at cancer centers and remotely through our office) that ensures no young adult ever faces cancer alone. We provide one-on-one support & resources to young adults and their families to help them manage the cancer experience and long-term cancer survival.
Scholarships - a financial assistance program to help young adults continue their education after being affected by cancer through their own diagnosis or the diagnosis of a loved one.
UCF House - This year UCF broke ground on a “home away from home” to provide free housing for young adult cancer patients, and their caregivers, in East Baltimore.
Your donation will help make these programs and our mission possible!
| Supporters | |||
| Name | Date | Amount | Comments |
| Ted Neitzke | 06/17/2017 | $150.00 | To Support Heather Hardman | Berry Byington | 06/10/2017 | $50.00 | Hey Heather! Many moons ago, (Bicentennial year of 1976) I too rode my bicycle across the USA (4,290.5 miles) in 54 days. I literally dipped my back wheel in the Pacific Ocean (Astoria, Oregon) and my front wheel in the Atlantic (Ft. Story, VA). My trip was an incredible experience as I am sure yours will be as well. Your mission to ride for cancer touches my heart. May your days be filled with wonder, reflection and many adventures! Safe Travels from SVHS, Berry Byington | Taylormade / Starkville Crossfit | 04/27/2017 | $150.00 | BeneFIT Workout | Heather Hardman | 04/10/2017 | $210.00 | Do Good - T-Shirt Fundraiser | Cheree Moulin | 03/30/2017 | $50.00 | Can't tell you enough how proud I am of you. You are one of the most beautiful people I have ever known. I'm so glad that our paths crossed way back in Kindergarten and that I am still able to keep up with you today! This is an awesome thing you are doing and it touches my heart! I love you more than Dr. Pepper and I'm sending lots of love and prayers your way as you trek on toward this adventure! | Shirley Molinar | 03/21/2017 | $100.00 | Dylan Sewell | 03/12/2017 | $110.00 | Thank you for the amazing pictures!! Good luck on your trip!! | Socially In | 03/11/2017 | $50.00 | Starkville Cycling Club | 03/10/2017 | $50.00 | Starkville Cycling Club is here to support you with this effort! Let us know if we can help in any way! | Anonymous Friend | 03/09/2017 | $500.00 | Lee Wimberly | 03/07/2017 | $500.00 | Anna Weissinger | 02/27/2017 | $25.00 | Love you, ya little fit angel. | Christopher Whatley | 02/27/2017 | $50.00 | Rob & Debbie Demers | 02/19/2017 | $250.00 | Debbie & I are amazed that you are taking on this cross country ride. We have enjoyed seeing you grow up and become the caring, talented young woman that you are. Please ride a day for my mom, Edie Finnegan, who died too young in 1988 from melanoma/liver cancer. | Alex Demers | 02/19/2017 | $100.00 | Enjoy the trip of a lifetime, Heather. | Carla Hardman | 02/18/2017 | $40.00 | Jo-Ann Moulin | 02/18/2017 | $25.00 | Heather, you remind me of myself at your age when I was first starting out in my career as an exercise physiologist at the Pritikin Longevity Center in Miami Beach, FL. after graduating from Texas Tech University. My co-workers and I decided to take a 120 mile bike ride through the Florida Keys for Multiple Sclerosis. It was a beautiful ride and so much fun!! I didn't really know Willy at the time other then as the Food Service Director at Pritikin. He used to always ride his bike to work and so my co-workers asked him to go with us on the ride. And that is the beginning of how we began our adventure together. After that ride we took another 120 mile ride through Boca Raton and West Palm Beach, Florida also for MS. We still have our shirts from both rides together. We hope you enjoy the ride with your friends and we admire your compassion for helping those with cancer. My mom, Faye Joanne Wilson died of colon cancer in 2010 after surviving a diagnosis of ovarian cancer 26 prior when I was in high school. My mother -in-law Elizabeth Miranda Moulin died of lung cancer this past December after being in our home on hospice care. We were blessed to be able to spend their final days with them to wrap our loving arms around them and care for them. We will always be grateful for those last days and all the memories over the years we had with each of them. We miss them both dearly and appreciate people like you who do so much to help all those who suffer from cancer. We wish we could go along with you on the ride. You will always look back and be glad you took the time to take this adventure to help others. We love you, Heather and want you to enjoy the ride and remember our loved ones, Elizabeth and Faye as you make your journey. We will be praying for your safety and endurance and strength on this adventure! Ride on and our angels will be with you along the way!! :) | Mary Ann Baker | 02/02/2017 | $200.00 | Anonymous Friend | 01/29/2017 | $430.00 | Thomasene Collins | 01/24/2017 | $100.00 | Way to go Heather! Can't wait to hear about your adventures biking. We wish you all the best! Thomasene & Stephen Louisa, Henry and Clayton | Blanche Kitchen | 01/19/2017 | $50.00 | You are taking off on an incredible adventure. | Jennifer Subbert | 01/12/2017 | $100.00 | What an incredible opportunity and a great cause! We hope you have an amazing and safe journey. Love, Jen, Dan, Makenna, and Alex | Heather Hardman | 01/09/2017 | $280.00 | Thank you for all your donations and making this possible! | Lauren Swee | 01/08/2017 | $30.00 | Good luck! | Heather Hardman | 01/07/2017 | $300.00 | Thanks to everyone who purchased T-Shirts / Donated through Bonfire!!! | Melanie Jones | 01/06/2017 | $100.00 | Heather, you are awesome! What an amazing adventure for an amazing cause. | Swee Family | 01/05/2017 | $50.00 | Good Luck Heather :) We are very proud of you! | Steve & Sara (& Violet) Yager | 01/03/2017 | $25.00 | Good Luck! | Anonymous Friend | 01/03/2017 | $50.00 | Wishing you a safe and wonderful journey. Thank you for supporting such a great cause! | Jan Sanford | 01/03/2017 | $25.00 | Heather your drive amazes me - thank you for taking on this challenge to bring awareness to cancer. My 8 year old niece Ava is currently a St. Jude patient. My dad passed away from cancer when I was your age. So many other family members and friends have lost the fight as well, and some are winning. It is people doing things like this ride that give us all hope. Love you sweet girl! | Lauren Swee | 12/30/2016 | $100.00 | I am so proud of you! Thank you for doing this! | Paula Dixon | 12/30/2016 | $100.00 | I am impressed with your desire to do this. | Austin Hardman | 12/28/2016 | $50.00 | Merry Christmas! | Sheri Yager | 12/28/2016 | $25.00 | Way to go, Heather. | Andrea Jones | 12/19/2016 | $100.00 | Heather, we have never met but we are cousins on the Hardman side. Your cute mom is my first cousin. Proud of your efforts and wishing you the best. Thank you from all of us...cancer survivors. Andrea | George Hardman | 12/17/2016 | $100.00 | Dolores Nohalty | 12/16/2016 | $25.00 | Taylor Carvalho | 12/10/2016 | $10.00 | So proud and excited to see people do difficult, substantial things. Thanks for being one of those people | Angie Kurosaka | 12/09/2016 | $250.00 | I am 16 year survivor, life is short, enjoy the ride. | Heather Hardman | 12/08/2016 | $100.00 |
| Total | $5,010.00 | ||