The top 10 fundraisers for Virtual Tour de Pier riding on the roof of the Shade Hotel. Photo: Patrick Record/Tour de Pier
Stationary cyclists in Los Angeles and from across the country took to their bikes on September 13, 2020, to virtually pedal for a cancer cure at the 8th Annual Skechers Tour de Pier. Once again sponsored in part by UCLA Health, the unique outdoor-fitness charity event that annually attracts more than 10,000 cyclists and attendees shifted from its traditional location on the Strand overlooking the Manhattan Beach Pier to a digital environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The innovative Virtual Tour de Pier enabled participants from across the country to ride, spin, run or do their activity of choice for a cancer cure.
“Considering the current global health crisis, we are pleased that Tour de Pier was able to continue raising money for cancer research and support services,” said Lisa Manheim, co-founder of Tour de Pier and executive director of the Hirshberg Foundation. “We know that cancer hasn’t stopped because we are in a pandemic. Our family, friends and neighbors are still being diagnosed every day. Pivoting our event to a virtual one ensured that we remain united in our mission to cure cancer and provide much-needed support for our beneficiaries.”
Following health protocols that included physical distancing and wearing a mask, the top 10 fundraisers rode in person on the rooftop of the Shade Hotel in Redondo Beach overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and in-person cycling took place outdoors at four partner studios: the Bay Club in Redondo Beach, CycleBar in Culver City and Santa Monica and the Los Angeles Dodgers Training Academy in Redondo Beach.
UCLA radiology staff members rode virtually as part of the UCLA Radiology Gold team. Other virtual cyclists included Ric McGill, director of UCLA Radiology for the UCLA Health partnership with the Los Angeles Lakers; Dr. Timothy Cloughesy (RES ’91, FEL ’92), director of the UCLA Neuro-Oncology Program; and Dr. David Nathanson (PhD ’11, FEL ’13), assistant professor of molecular and medical pharmacology.
The event raised more than $680,000 for three cancer charities, two of which provide significant support for cancer studies at UCLA: the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research and the Uncle Kory Foundation for brain-cancer investigations. Since 2013, Tour de Pier has raised more than $7.9 million, helping cancer charities advance innovative research and provide support services for patients with cancer and their families.
For more information, contact Elizabeth Naito at: 310-206-6749
