Tristan Swangstu, Contributing Photographer

This month, over 2,000 riders and 600 volunteers helped raise $30 million for Smilow Cancer Hospital and the Yale Cancer Center at Yale New Haven Hospital’s, or YNHH’s, Closer to Free bike ride.

The Closer to Free — or CTF — ride is hosted by Yale New Haven Hospital’s Office of Development and is the signature fundraiser for Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center. Sept. 7 marked Closer to Free’s 14th annual bike ride, the second in-person ride since the pandemic. 

This year, CTF worked with a team of over 600 volunteers to make this event possible. The event was attended by over 2,000 riders, who participated either in person or virtually. Nearly $30 million has been raised to date for this event.

The campaign is still ongoing until the end of September, but as of now $30 million has been raised for this event. Of that $30 million, all goes to the Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale Cancer Center. 

“Funds are used to support many different research and clinical program initiatives,” Ride Director Jessica Scheps told the News. “Some of these include clinical trials, our survivorship program, community outreach to bring equity to cancer care, and the best technology available to diagnose and treat a multitude of cancers.”

Several different routes are offered to riders, spanning from 10 to 100 miles. These routes may be as close as the streets of New Haven, to as far as the hills of Durham, but they all have been described as beautiful by participants.

During the ride, the streets of Connecticut were flooded with a deluge of yellow and blue, with the yellow jerseys given to cancer survivors. According to the National Cancer Institute, approximately 40.5 percent of men and women will be diagnosed with cancer at some point during their lifetimes, making this a community that touches many.

“Looking around the huge crowd, seeing survivors in their special jerseys, and hearing from cancer patients all provides motivation to fundraise and ride hard,” Deputy General Counsel Caroline Hendel ’83 wrote to the News in an email.

According to Scheps, the highest turnout for the bike ride was in 2019, but the event has remained strong even throughout the pandemic, where riders participated virtually. 

Bike riders look back on the event fondly, with some commenting on its energy.

“It’s always emotional and electric all at once,” said Deepti Pradhan, deputy director of data analytics at Yale University’s Office of Development. “Nerves always get the better of me on ride day, but somehow it all comes together, helped in no small part by the volunteers who greet you with bells and placards at various points along the route.”

Volunteers and organizers are not the only ones who need to prepare for the CTF ride, however. Even veteran bike riders who are familiar with the experience recounted their extensive preparation. Pradhan, for example, recalled beginning training back in the spring.

Fundraising responsibilities are also placed on bikers, with participants sending messages to family, friends and colleagues informing them of the race and how their donations can help. Numerous company sponsors, such as Bank of America, Lamar and Pfizer also contribute to the event. 

“I sent out fundraising notes to lots of family and friends and raised $10,750, to help with cancer research and care. It is easy to write people and ask them to donate to this cause,” Abby Roth, director of communications for medical education at the School of Medicine. “It’s wonderful to see how much money is raised altogether from the ride.”

To learn more about the CTF ride, visit their website at rideclosertofree.org.

Correction, Sept. 23: The article has been updated to add a number raised for the event. Pradhan’s title has also been corrected.