MUFG Pedal to the Medal: CRI Cycling Challenge

Fifty-five employees from the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) came together on Wednesday, June 19, 2019, at SWERVE Fitness Midtown for the second annual “Pedal to the Medal: CRI Cycling Challenge,” a team-based studio cycling fundraiser to benefit the Cancer Research Institute (CRI).

MUFG Blue Team, Pedal to the Medal 2019

MUFG employees challenged each other in friendly competition, and were split into Team Red, Team Green, and Team Blue. Team Red was led by Tricia Hazelwood, managing director and head of structured products of MUFG Securities Americas; Team Green was led by Bill Mansfield, president and chief executive officer of MUFG Securities Americas; and Team Blue was led by Geoffrey Coley, CRI board member and international business head of MUFG Securities Holdings Co., Ltd. Geoffrey is the great-nephew of CRI’s founder, Helen Coley Nauts, and the great-grandson of Dr. William B. Coley, now recognized as the “Father of Cancer Immunotherapy.” Team captains were fundamental in recruiting cyclists and driving fundraising efforts for the event.

MUFG Red Team, Pedal to the Medal 2019

Cyclists sweat through a 45-minute class, enduring sprints, hills, and upper body exercises designed for a full-body workout. Progress was tracked through a “SWERVE Score,” which was shown on scoreboards in the studio for teams to compare themselves against their competition. After an intense ride, the results were in: Team Blue ended the challenge with the highest SWERVE Score with a total of 698, with Team Green placing second with an impressive score of 580, and Team Red coming in close with a score of 522. For top individual SWERVE scores, Bill Mansfield of Team Green scored 1,045, Ryan Osborne of Team Blue scored 915, and Rob Carlson of Team Green scored 882.

MUFG Green Team, Pedal to the Medal 2019

Following the ride, MUFG employees celebrated their accomplishments and cooled off with beers, custom smoothies, and light bites. Jill O’Donnell-Tormey, CRI CEO and director of scientific affairs, and Geoffrey Coley made remarks and commended riders for their commitment to cycling and raising funds for breakthrough cancer immunotherapy research. Thanks to the MUFG employees that cycled and MUFG’s generous corporate match, the event raised $21,900. This will be matched by CRI’s spring campaign for a total of $43,800!  

Jill O’Donnell-Tormey, CRI CEO and director of scientific affairs and Geoffrey Coley, CRI board member and international business head of MUFG Securities Holdings Co., Ltd.

The Pedal to the Medal Studio Cycling Event is one of many activities during our seventh annual Cancer Immunotherapy Month, helping raise awareness of cancer immunotherapy research.

CRI would like to thank MUFG for providing support as a long-term corporate partner. With companies like MUFG leading corporate philanthropy initiatives, CRI can continue to advance cancer immunotherapy research for a Future Immune to Cancer™. For information on participating in studio cycling events, please contact Sharon Slade at sslade@cancerresearch.org.