It was October 22, 2022, and in the wee small hours of the morning, we were preparing to welcome 851 Riders onto Georgetown’s hilltop campus to kick off the first BellRinger, our ride to end cancer. It was a particularly chilly morning, but the energy as people started to arrive and line up in the bike chute created a warmth that I think about often. Novice and avid riders alike, old, young, and everything in between, the stage was set for a beautiful ride along the Potomac River and into scenic Maryland—all made possible by a wide community of support.
In the year and half leading up to that day, the whole team and many partners had put a ton of effort into recruiting every single person who committed to riding, fundraising, and to showing up that morning. It felt particularly good to recognize the majority of Riders there, and to know the stories that brought them together that day.
Cancer is an equalizer in that way, it doesn’t discriminate. And even in the challenge, sadness, and loss, cancer also has the power to bring people to action willing to do something to end it altogether. That’s pretty cool.
As the years have gone on, we’ve welcomed more people and partners into our BellRinger community, raising over $6.7 million for cancer research to date. I’ve also challenged myself personally from a novice bike rider to a slightly more knowledgeable and less terrified novice bike rider, increasing my distance to our metric century of 62 miles last year and tentatively registered for the full 100-mile century ride this year… We’ll see.
Along the way, it’s not just the Riders and volunteers who have made this movement so rewarding. It’s also our partners who we have built strong relationships with and whose support is the only reason we are able to continue executing BellRinger Weekend year after year.
Because of support from Funding Partners, we proudly share that 100% of every dollar raised by Riders and volunteers directly supports cancer research at Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. I should mention here that our Lombardi researchers are outstanding, with dozens of them riding with us each year and many inviting their own networks to join them to ride and donate to support their lifesaving work. You can read more about some of the research BellRinger has supported on our website here.
Of course, sponsorship dollars make a huge difference, but it’s the human touch from these organizations that make the experience rewarding and keep our Funding Partners coming back. I think of the Rest Stops and Finish Line Celebration filled with many of our partners who both underwrite them and staff them with their volunteers eager to help Riders. From the specialty food items, photobooths, and smiling faces ringing bells welcoming Riders across the finish line, these are the people behind our Funding Partners who make BellRinger all that it can be.
You’ll see a listing of the partners here who have made an early commitment for our fifth annual BellRinger Weekend this October 23-24, 2026, but there is still plenty of time to join us. I hope you will consider supporting in this way or helping make a connection to an organization you think would enjoy being a part of this community.
Regardless of how you participate, we are incredibly grateful and look forward to seeing you out on the road!
