Jose Rafael Perozo Locurcio is a freshman at Winona State University. In the summer of 2017, he will be traveling with a group of college-aged students on a 70-day, 4000+ mile ride from Baltimore, MD to Seattle, WA raising money and awareness for the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults.
What is your connection to the cancer community?
My maternal grandmother died from Cancer when my mother was 13 years old. My mother always tells me how amazing my grandmother was and how much she suffered when she lost her mother a such a young age. My mother abandoned school after her mother’s death, and she told me it was the most difficult time of her life. I often go to my grandmother’s grave with my mother. Even though I never met her, I always feel sad when I go there and see my mother’s watery eyes. Because of the death of my grandmother, I’ve recently been interested in cancer and the ways I can help people who are affected by this disease. During my first semester in college I took a biology class in which I learned more about cancer. Now I know that cancer takes away thousands of lives in each year and there are ways I can help to reduce those numbers. I feel it is my responsibility to help others with this disease and save valuable lives.
Why are you traveling over 4000 miles this summer with the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults?
I want to be a rider with the 4k because I want to help people who are affected by cancer. I want to raise awareness for those people and show to my community that we all can do something to help others. I also want to be a rider with the 4k to go across the United States in a bike and see the beauty of this magnificent country while sending a sense of hope and love to those with cancer across the US. Going across the United States in a team and helping others sounds like such an adventure to me. I have always been driven by curiosity. I love traveling, going to places I have never been to before, and meeting new people. Being a rider with the 4k would give the opportunity to show my ability in working in teams and helping others while going to places I’ve never been to with new friends.
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 |
Kenneth Tham | 02/22/2017 | $10.00 | (-L_- ) | Yuki Shimose | 02/07/2017 | $30.00 | Mayu Kikuchi | 02/07/2017 | $20.00 | Robert Velez | 02/03/2017 | $10.00 | Yun Ting Chien | 02/03/2017 | $10.00 | JooIm Jeong | 02/03/2017 | $30.00 | Charles Opatz | 01/27/2017 | $25.00 | Good luck Jose! | Kyurim Oh | 01/27/2017 | $51.00 | :P | Colton Rohde | 01/27/2017 | $25.00 | This is to fulfill a promise! Buena suerte, Jose, y espero que puedas cumplir tu meta con mi donativo y el apoyo de otros. :) | Zheng Lin Lee | 01/27/2017 | $8.00 | Keep Fighting!Don't Give Up! | Anonymous Friend | 01/27/2017 | $4.00 | Good luck! | Anonymous Friend | 01/27/2017 | $30.00 | Anonymous Friend | 01/24/2017 | $50.00 | Ayaka Mizutani | 01/24/2017 | $100.00 | Hyunjung Song | 01/22/2017 | $30.00 | Haruka Nishimura | 01/21/2017 | $50.00 | Jose Rafael Perozo Locurcio | 01/19/2017 | $100.00 |
Total | $583.00 |