Seeks donations of funds, silent auction items
For John Cash, Saturday, May 7 will be an uphill climb.
And then a downhill slide, another uphill climb, another downhill and so on….
It’s Cash’s third annual Climb to Conquer Cancer, in which he plans to ride his bike 10 times up and down the Saluda grade section of Hwy. 176 from the Tryon Youth Center to Saluda and back. The event raises funds for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the Gibbs Regional Cancer Center survivorship program. The Lance Armstrong Foundation’s mission, according to its website (livestrong.org) is to unite, inspire and empower people affected by cancer.
Cash will start his climbs at the Tryon Youth Center at 8 a.m. on May 7. In total, he plans to ride about 84 miles that morning. He is aiming to complete each trip up, which is a little more than four miles, in about 25 minutes. The descent will take only about seven minutes. He invites others to join him for one trip or all 10.
During and after the race Franklin McKaig of the Tryon Youth Center will provide pizza to eat there or take out.
In addition, a silent auction will be held at the Tryon Youth Center. Items for the auction, which are still being sought, will include sports memorabilia (cycling, football, baseball, Nascar), original artwork and more. Items will be on display for bidding starting Monday, April 25 through Friday, May 6. The winners will be announced at 3 p.m. on May 6. All donations are tax deductible, and winners need not be present.
Cash’s first two Climb to Conquer Cancer events raised $8,000-$10,000 each for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Cash said he hopes this year’s climb will be equally successful.
“This is the most giving community I’ve ever lived in,” Cash said. “I hope everyone will consider donating to the cause and joining the fight against cancer.”
Cash, a Landrum resident and Tryon business owner, has been riding and competing at a high level for years. Several years ago he began combining his love for cycling with a newfound passion for helping those with cancer. That passion was ignited when Cash met his hero, cyclist Lance Armstrong.
Cash and five other cyclists got a chance in 2006 to join Armstrong on an eight-day, 350-mile tour through northern Italy. Along the way, Cash got to know the person behind the legend and learned about Armstrong’s efforts to fight cancer.
Since then Cash has become one of the top grassroots fundraisers for the organization. He was recently nominated as a Lance Armstrong International Leader.
“Both my parents died from cancer, and my sister is a cancer survivor,” Cash said, “so it’s personal for me.”
More than $40,000 has been raised in the Thermal Belt for the Lance Armstrong Foundation since 2006, according to Cash. This year, funds raised through the climb will also benefit the Gibbs Regional Cancer survivorship program. The Lance Armstrong Foundation recently gave the center a grant to start a survivorship program, which will focus on exercise, diet and a general wellness program for cancer survivors.
For more information, or to donate funds or items for the silent auction, drop by Nature’s Storehouse on S. Trade Street in Tryon or contact Cash at 828-859-6356 or naturesstore@windstream.net.
You can also contribute directly by visiting p3ride.org, clicking on donate and scrolling down to John Cash’s name.