Everyone,

Welcome to my fundraising page!  First let me say how honored and humble I feel to represent the Ulman Cancer Fund (UCF) for Young Adults and their Key to Keys 2015 ride.  I have the opportunity of a lifetime to help raise awareness and funds for UCF.  

For those of you that are not familiar with this non-profit fund, it was created in 1997 after 19 year old Doug Ulman, a sophomore in college, was diagnosed with a malignant tumor on his rib.  He was frustrated with the lack of resources available for someone his age.  Doug worked with his  family to create the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults.  

Nearly 70,000 young adults are diagnosed in the U.S. each year with cancer.  A cancer diagnosis between the ages of 15-39 is nearly eight times more common than a diagnosis in the first 15 years of life.  Cancer is the leading disease killer among 20-39 year olds.  Young adults face a myriad of social, psychological, and medical hurdles.  The fund works for and with young adults and their families as they battle this disease by offering support, resources and a community that recognizes the profound effect of cancer on young peoples lives. 

Several years ago in my quest as a young adult (which I am no longer considered) to stay healthy and fit, and support a good cause, I was introduced to UCF through Team Fight.  Team Fight raises awareness about cancer, through training and participation in running events and triathlons, while committing to raise funds for UCF.  I can't say enough about the coaches who give their  time for free to help prepare you, and the participants (many of which are cancer survivors) who inspire you and the volunteers who support the races in so many ways.  I also took the opportunity to participate in their scholarship program.  What I love about this organization is that while it is local to me it also reaches out across the county. Every year they rely on volunteers to assist them with reading and rating scholarship  applications from across the county.  They have multiple scholarships for young adults (15-39) who were impacted by cancer and are seeking higher education.  They can be a cancer survivor themselves, or the child of a parent who has or had cancer.  Well, I have to say that this was far harder than training for a triathlon.  I was just so blown away by their stories.  What amazed me was that these young adults have this amazing attitude, perseverance, and will to make a difference, despite the hardships, sadness and sometimes loss that they have faced at such a young age.   I can't tell you how hard it is to decide who is more worthy of getting a scholarship.  I went through many boxes of tissues, along with hours and hours of deliberation.  Thankfully, these are read by many others and all of the responsibility doesn't rest on my shoulders. I feel blessed, humble, thankful and inspired to be a better person.  It's why I wanted to take part in this amazing opportunity to ride, to raise awareness and funds for this amazing organization.  Also, as a firefighter, I am very aware of the increased risk firefighters have for many of these cancers.  It is also my quest to educate myself and others a about those risks and create relationships and partnerships with people and organizations such as UCF.

I will be riding with a small group - no more than 25 other riders - chosen to ride from Baltimore to the Florida Keys on a mission to raise awareness and funds that support:

UCF's Mission: We change lives by creating a community of support for young adults, and their loved ones, as they fight cancer and embrace survivorship.

UCF's Vision:  We envision a world in which all young adults affected by cancer will have access to the resources necessary to thrive.

UCF's Values: The Ulman Cancer Fund’s work is built on the belief that every young adult diagnosed with cancer deserves hope and support. The values that guide our daily work with young adults — as well as our long-term organizational planning — which include collaboration, perseverance, integrity and compassion.

The Ulman Cancer Fund provides many programs, services, and events.  A few of them are; Patient Navigators at four of the major local cancer centers; a Board of Young Adult Advisors (BOYAA); Team Fight, UCF Adventures; 4K for Cancer, Cancer to 5K; UCF races; and Scholarship Programs.  For a complete list and for explainations of how each of these programs benefit cancer patients and their families, check out their website at www.ulmanfund.org. There are also many volunteer opportunities within each of these programs. Please let me know if you would like information or have questions about any of these programs.  I would love to tell you about them.  

Thank you for considering to make a donation of any amount to support my effort to raise funds and awareness for the Ulman Cancer Fund!

UCF Experiences Key to Keys is a journey that brings together a diverse group of individuals to build a community of support for those affected by cancer. Using cycling as a platform, Key to Keys participants come together throughout the journey to share their individual cancer connections and give out as much support to others as they are receiving.