As BellRinger heads into its fifth year, I am excited to witness its evolution into an ever-present yearly ritual. We are already at over 800 riders, over halfway to our goal of 1,500 riders on October 24. As always, September and October promise to be our most prolific in terms of registration, especially as our community of Georgetown students returns to campus. Our inaugural ride in 2022 had 851 riders. So, we are on track to have doubled our participation in just a few years!
As we look toward this milestone year, it is also a moment of deep personal reflection for me. After nearly 19 years serving as director of Georgetown’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, I have made the decision to step down from my role later this year.
Serving this institution has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. Together, we have built something truly extraordinary—maintaining our distinction as Washington’s only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, deepening our integration with MedStar Health, and ensuring that our research translates directly into better care for our patients. When we launched BellRinger, my goal was to create a sustainable, community-wide engine to fund the next generation of cancer breakthroughs and support our brilliant early-career investigators. Seeing how this event has grown from a vision into a movement has been one of the highlights of my tenure. While I am stepping down as director, I am not going anywhere. I look forward to continuing my work right here at Georgetown Lombardi—focusing on my research, caring for my patients, and mentoring the doctors and scientists who will carry our mission forward.
A national search is currently underway to identify the next leader of our cancer center, which presents an exciting opportunity to bring fresh vision to our critical work. I look forward to fully supporting our new director as they place their unique stamp on Lombardi’s bright future.
And BellRinger is an important part of that future because every dollar raised goes straight to supporting our cancer research mission. Having resources to sustain our research and support our early-career investigators has never been more important. Every dollar matters. Every Rider matters. Every volunteer matters. Every mile takes us closer to cures.
One of my favorite elements of the weekend is the “Why I Ride” wall that is present at Opening Ceremony on Friday evening and again at the Finish Line. By the end of the weekend, the wall is covered by deeply personal statements of who we honor, whose memory we bring to life, and who we appreciate for their lifesaving efforts. Each Rider has a story to tell. Each name on the wall represents a life that has immeasurable value. Each name calls us to do more, to do better, and to honor their lives.
This Ride is not just about the doctors, the nurses, the hospital staff, or the scientists. It is about our collective mission—to end cancer. Each one of us has a part to play in this grand effort. Some of us have the privilege of doing the work in the clinic or lab that will make a difference. Others among us, from all walks of life, can make a difference by helping to build our BellRinger community and raising the money that will save lives.
All of us can do something—whether or not we ride. So, this is the moment, and this is the year. Let’s break through the 1,500-rider barrier together and make the horizon the limit in what we do—one mile at a time—to make the world a better place.
