An enthusiastic cyclist and children’s cancer research advocate, Jolee Nicholas is on the adventure of a lifetime in support of cc-TDI’s mission to make childhood cancer universally survivable. Jolee, a sophomore at Pepperdine University and the sister of cc-TDI engineer Bradley, is raising awareness and funds for cc-TDI as she bikes from her hometown of Clarkston, Washington, making her way north through Canada, with a final destination of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska.
As an avid cyclist, Jolee is not afraid of distance adventures. Having completed a century ride on tandem under the age of 10, Jolee has participated in trips spanning the Oregon Coast, Washington state to Jasper National Park, Acadia National Park to Indiana – even crossing the United States coast to coast as a teenager!
Jolee’s personal connection to cancer has motivated her to embark on this particular journey. Like many, cancer has hit close to home for Jolee and her family, with her grandparents having suffered from various types of cancers and her best friend’s father having been diagnosed with a rare blood cancer. “Unlike my grandmother’s struggle with cancer that came later in life, children with cancer aren’t always afforded the opportunity to experience a healthy, full life,” states Jolee. “Children should not be confined to hospital visits and chemotherapy for all their lives, which is why developing innovative ways of addressing childhood cancers is so important.”
Watching those she loves go through the difficulties of a cancer diagnosis and treatment spurred Jolee to truly make a difference. “As a young college student, I don’t have a lot of extra money to donate but I do have my health and my ability. That’s why this summer my mission is to bring awareness to the need for childhood cancer research by raising more than $10,000 for the Children’s Cancer Therapy Development Institute.” Jolee, her father and a friend, left Clarkston, Washington on June 15th heading north. To date, the group is closing in on the half-way portion of her trip having raised more than $3,000 towards her goal.
We are incredibly grateful and amazed by Jolee’s dedication to raising awareness and funding for underserved childhood cancers at cc-TDI. We encourage you to support her campaign efforts at https://cc-tdi.kindful.com/?campaign=1200569. Thank you in advance for your gift of any amount and please join us in following Jolee’s progress as she rides for research! You can follow all the fun via Facebook or Instagram @Riding_For_Research. Social media likes, comments and shares go a long way in furthering Jolee’s heartwarming story!
