Hundreds of cyclists kicked off the 2025 Curebound Cancer Challenge Saturday morning on the campus of UC San Diego.
The annual cancer research fundraiser was formally known as the Padres Pedal the Cause.
Fred Perez was one of the more than 2,800 people registered for this year’s event. He rode in the 55-mile bike race.
“My dad had cancer. My sister-in-law had cancer. She’s recovered from it, but every day we’re hearing about a family member that’s been devastated by this disease,” he said.
Organizers decided to expand branding of the event with a name change and more activities for participants to complete while raising donations. That also included a 75 and 25 mile race for cyclists.
M.G. Perez
M.G. Perez
Alex and Suzanne Papike rode to raise money to honor their 25 year old son living with a cancer diagnosis, August 2, 2025.
Megan Ambrose lost her father to cancer when she was a teenager. She is now the producer of the fundraiser that included walking, running, cycling, and spinning for dollars to defeat the disease.
“It’s really a community effort and we know that’s what it’s going to take,” Ambrose told NBC 7. “It is really every single person committing themselves to a future without cancer.”
It’s really a community effort and we know that’s what it’s going to take.
“It is really every single person committing themselves to a future without cancer.Megan Ambrose, Producer 2025 Curebound Cancer Challenge
The White House has proposed cutting the budget of the U.S. National Institutes of Health by almost 40% in the coming fiscal year.
That could reduce significant medical research according to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Karina Moreno participated in the fixed cycle spinning activity and then the 5K walk and run, Saturday. Her mother, Tere Chavez, died in September 2021 of stage 4 lung cancer. “When she was diagnosed, they told us it’s going to be six months. She stayed with us three years. So, she was really tough,” said Moreno
Two weeks after her mother’s death, her father, Ignacio, died of COVID-19. “I’m still here, and the best way to honor them is to continue life,” she said.
Karina Moreno
Karina Moreno
This is an undated family photo provided by Karina Moreno. Her father, Ignacio Moreno (left), died in September 2021 of COVID-19. Two weeks earlier, her mother Tere Chavez (right), died of stage 4 lung cancer.
Since its beginning in 2013, the San Diego based Curebound 501c3 organization has raised and invested $75 million in local cancer research projects. Saturday’s event raised $3 million according to organizers.