WVU Medicine is going the extra mile – or extra 100 miles – through the mountains in support of blood cancer patients and their families. Providers from the WVU Cancer Institute, WVU Medicine Children’s, and WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital will team up to take part in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride on June 1 along Lake Tahoe in Stateline, Nevada.
America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride, now in its 32nd year, is a fundraising event that takes cyclists on a challenging 35-, 72-, or 100-mile ride around scenic Lake Tahoe. The event supports the LLS, a non-profit organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research and providing education, resources, and financial support to patients. WVU Medicine and WVU Medicine Children’s are sponsors for the event. Close to home, the LLS provided $1,054,500 in assistance to West Virginia blood cancer patients and caregivers during its 2024 fiscal year.
Ashkan Emadi, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the WVU Cancer Institute Department of Medical Oncology, is captain of the WVU Medicine team, “Mountain to Mountain: Crossing the Country for a Cure.”
While in attendance at last year’s event, Dr. Emadi witnessed more than 2,000 riders cross the finish line – some rode 100 miles on hand bikes, while others tackled the course only 100 days after their final chemotherapy treatment. This was more than enough inspiration for Emadi, who decided to not only sponsor the event but to also form a team and ride in it.
“As a physician and scientist dedicated to treating blood cancers, I see firsthand the impact these diseases have on patients and their families,” Emadi said.
Emadi will be joined by Konstantinos Sdrimas, M.D., Department of Medical Oncology; Carl Shultz, D.O., Department of Medical Oncology, and his wife, Beth; Samantha Hall, N.P., A.P.R.N., WVU Cancer Institute; Amy Romano, WVU Cancer Institute marketing and communications manager; Patrick Tomboc, D.O., division chief, Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, WVU Medicine Children’s; and Rob Riley, division manager in the WVU Medicine Children’s Department of Pediatrics.
Also attending the event but not riding with the team is Bhavana Bhatnagar, D.O., director of the Department of Medical Oncology at the WVU Cancer Institute at Wheeling Hospital. The team is training with spinning instructor Keri Schmidt, the wife of Carl Schmidt, M.D., chief, Division of Surgical Oncology.
“When someone finds out that I take care of kids with cancer, there’s an audible sigh and then they say, ‘That must be so hard,’” Dr. Tomboc said. “My job is not nearly as hard, painful, or stressful as being diagnosed with cancer or having a child with cancer. This ride is a small bit of suffering to hopefully raise money so my patients can have a future.”
During the event, WVU Medicine participants will highlight a pediatric patient, speak on various topics, and present on thought leader panels. Emadi plans to drive to the event, and on his way across the country, he intends to meet and collaborate with colleagues at various stopping points to showcase the programs at WVU Medicine.
“Mountain to Mountain: Crossing the Country for a Cure” has set an event fundraising goal of $100,000. Donations can be made to the team by clicking here.
“Participating in LLS’s America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride is more than a challenge – it’s a commitment to pushing forward in the fight against leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, and other blood cancers,” Emadi said. “Every mile we ride fuels research, advances treatments, and brings hope to those battling blood cancers. I ride not just as a doctor, but as a human who believes we can – and must – do more to save lives.”
For more information about the WVU Cancer Institute, visit WVUCancer.org. For more information about WVU Medicine Children’s, visit WVUKids.com.
