{"id":103186,"date":"2025-07-10T14:18:10","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T18:18:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/?p=103186"},"modified":"2025-07-10T16:19:38","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T20:19:38","slug":"brock-community-rallies-to-raise-funds-for-local-cancer-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/2025\/07\/brock-community-rallies-to-raise-funds-for-local-cancer-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Brock community rallies to raise funds for local cancer care"},"content":{"rendered":"

For 15 years, Karl Thorp has led the charge for Brock University\u2019s participation in the Big Move Cancer Ride, a fundraising event supporting Niagara\u2019s Walker Family Cancer Centre.<\/p>\n

Thorp, Senior Platoon Supervisor with Campus Safety Services, has captained the Brock University Cyclones since 2010 and was inspired by a spontaneous gathering of faculty and staff at the ride\u2019s inaugural lunch break.<\/p>\n

\u201cBack then, we realized we were all riding individually,\u201d Thorp said. \u201cThat day, we decided to come together as a team the following year. Marion Hansen first took the lead, and I\u2019ve been captain ever since.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cyclones have been inducted into the Elite Peddlers tier of Big Move’s prestigious Platinum Peddlers Club<\/a> for raising more than $250,000 over their 16 rides, and many individual members have also achieved the $10,000 fundraising milestone required for personal induction as Platinum Peddlers.<\/p>\n

The Cyclones\u2019 momentum shows no signs of slowing. In 2024, the team raised nearly $35,000, making them the event\u2019s top fundraising team. That year also saw the largest-ever contingent of Brock faculty and staff join the ride.<\/p>\n

Alumni and current students continue to join the ranks annually, brought in through word of mouth and social media.<\/p>\n

The funds raised go directly to the Walker Family Cancer Centre in St. Catharines, helping the facility provide advanced cancer treatment locally.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt means patients can stay near their families and support systems,\u201d Thorp said. \u201cThe donations help purchase state-of-the-art equipment that improves care.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Thorp, the cause is deeply personal. A close friend he met shortly after arriving in Canada in the 1980s died of cancer, and he\u2019s seen the disease impact many loved ones and colleagues over the years.<\/p>\n

That personal connection drives his passion and generosity. Every new team member receives a Brock-branded cycling jersey, thanks to donations from former Board of Trustees Chairs John Suk (BSc \u201973) and Gary Comerford.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis isn\u2019t a race, it\u2019s a ride. It\u2019s about community, remembrance and hope,\u201d Thorp said. \u201cWe welcome anyone who wants to make a difference. No matter the distance you ride, because you\u2019re part of something bigger.\u201d<\/p>\n

Registration for the 2025 Big Move Cancer Ride on Sunday, Sept. 14 is now open.<\/p>\n

Thorp encourages current and former Brock community members to visit the Niagara Health Foundation\u2019s Big Move Cancer Ride website<\/a> to learn more. Navigate to \u201cJoin a Team\u201d and search for \u201cBrock University\u201d to join the Cyclones.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For 15 years, Karl Thorp has led the charge for Brock University\u2019s participation in the Big Move Cancer Ride, a fundraising event supporting Niagara\u2019s Walker Family Cancer Centre.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":103188,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9794,7,1],"tags":[561,895,9238,703,9505,562],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103186"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=103186"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103186\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":103195,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103186\/revisions\/103195"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/103188"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=103186"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=103186"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=103186"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}