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Ken Cowan, M.D., Ph.D., far right, meets with the 15 members of the Loup Valley Road Riders who recently toured the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center. |
That’s why Ken Cowan, M.D., Ph.D., director of the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center, is so grateful for all the support he can get to help fund cancer research.
Among the many donors to the cancer center, Dr. Cowan holds a special place in his heart for a group of motorcyclists who primarily reside in the Sandhills of Nebraska, a couple hundred miles west of Omaha.
The motorcyclists — part of a group called the Loup Valley Road Riders — have held numerous Sandhills events over the past 12 years to raise money for cancer research. Their biggest event is a motorcycle rally called the Spring Fling held each year on the weekend after Mother’s Day. For the past seven years, the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center has been the beneficiary. Since several of the club members had developed cancer and all of the members had family and friends with cancer, they decided to raise money for cancer research at the Eppley Cancer Center.
“This is one of the incredible things I’ve experienced since coming to UNMC eight years ago,” Dr. Cowan said. “We’ve been fortunate to find support from across the state. I think it’s remarkable that a motorcycle club in central Nebraska is so devoted to raising money for cancer research. It truly exemplifies the goodwill of the people of Nebraska and how a worthwhile cause brings out the best in individuals.”
Each year, Dr. Cowan drives to the Sandhills and receives a pile of personal checks and cash donations raised by the Loup Valley Road Riders. The presentation usually takes place at a small town restaurant, such as the Tumbleweed Cafe in Broken Bow, Neb., or the Ritz Cafe in Sargent, Neb. This year, the group raised about $5,000, the highest amount they’ve ever raised.
Since 2003, the UNMC College of Nursing Cosmopolitan Mobile Nursing Center has been going to the Spring Fling to provide cancer educational materials as well as screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, skin cancer and breast cancer.
“The Loup Valley Road Riders are great to work with and they know how to have fun,” said Cathy Binstock, nurse practitioner/clinical manager for the mobile nursing center. “They have a passion for raising money to support cancer research and awareness. The Mobile Nursing Center staff always feels very welcome and appreciated when providing services to this group.”
To learn more about the cancer research taking place at UNMC, about 15 members of the Loup Valley Road Riders paid a visit to UNMC on Oct. 14. Dr. Cowan provided an overview of the UNMC Eppley Cancer Center, while Gloria Borgstahl, Ph.D., associate professor, demonstrated how she uses crystallography to better understand cell damage caused by cancer and other diseases.
For Tom Kleeb, who serves as director of the Loup Valley Road Riders, it was time well spent. Kleeb, 64, a retired truck driver who lives in Sargent, knows well the pain that cancer can inflict on families. Three of Kleeb’s loved ones have died from various forms of cancer — his mother had breast cancer, his father had prostate cancer, and his mother-in-law had stomach cancer. In addition, his son had kidney cancer.
“You can’t walk down the street and find someone that hasn’t been touched by cancer,” Kleeb said. “It’s a disease we’ve done a lot for, but we still have a long way to go.”
At first blush, the pairing of a motorcycle club and a cancer research center would seem to be strange bedfellows. But, Kleeb said it’s been a win-win.
“I think he (Dr. Cowan) had some reservations early on, but it’s working out great,” Kleeb said. “The Sandhills is such a special place. We invite everyone to come to next year’s Spring Fling in Sargent on May 17-18 to help raise money for cancer research.”