Snowy bike ride raises awareness in Nebraska — Rollin to Colon
Posted by Kate Murphy on March 20th, 2006
March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
Bike riders started off in Omaha, Nebraska on Sunday, March 19th, to raise money for colon cancer research and awareness of the disease but were stopped by heavy snow a few miles into the ride. State police decided that riders weren’t safe in the snowy weather.
Holly Rochelle, a colon cancer survivor, organized the ride — Rollin to Colon — fifty miles from Omaha to Colon, Nebraska.
I had told people of Nebraska, I would come here and raise awareness for colon cancer — and would do it with everything I had. I want people to know that colon cancer is the number two cause of cancer deaths in this country. And I want them to get a colonoscopy.
In addition, riders wanted to get out the message that young people do get colon cancer. Lauri Wingerter was diagnosed at 38.
I was diagnosed at age 38 with stage-three colon cancer, and that was four years ago. It was awful and nobody thought, because I was so young, that I would have colon cancer.
Nineteen riders began the trip before fast-falling snow ended the effort. The team plans an annual bike ride to towns across the United States named “Colon”. Next year’s ride will be to Colon, Pennsylvania. Rochelle plans to ride during March, which is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, but may schedule it later to avoid late-season snow storms.
