Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common and some crazy questions we receive from prospective riders. If you don’t see the question (or answer) you are looking for below – don’t hesitate to email 4kforcancer@ulmanfund.org
Who We Are? 4K for Cancer is a program of the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults, a non profit organization dedicated to enhancing lives by supporting, educating and connecting young adults, and their loved ones, affected by cancer.
Do I have to be a college student?
You do not have to be a college student to ride the 4K, although most of our riders are college age students ranging in age between 18 – 25 years old. One thing they all have in common is a love of cycling, a sense of adventure, and a commitment to fight cancer.
How do I apply?
Click Here. We encourage folks to apply sooner rather than later as our spots fill by mid December proceeding each years ride.
What if I am not a cyclist?
No long distance biking experience is needed, although we do hope you have at least ridden a bike before. We work with all of our riders to make sure they learn everything from adjusting brakes, fixing a derailleur, to changing a flat tire. By offering training sessions throughout the Spring, we can teach you how to bike safely on busy roads (which is our #1 priority).
What is the fundraising requirement?
To participate on one of our rides, each rider must raise a minimum of $4500, which represents $1 for every mile we ride.
Most riders easily exceed the fundraising minimum and bring in between $5000 and $7000. We provide each rider with a fundraising packet, which they will receive once they are registered on a ride.
Where does the money I raise go?
The money raised by our riders goes toward supporting the efforts and initiatives of the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults.
Do I need my own bike?
No. Each rider receives a bike courtesy of the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults. Riders are required to use the bikes we provide during the ride. The bike is yours to keep after you complete the 4K for Cancer.
How does riding cross country ‘fight cancer’?
We provide direct support services to young adults battling cancer through the Patient Navigation program, peer mentoring, and college scholarships. Read more here.
Over the past decade we have learned that it is very inspiring to ride across the country while dedicating our ride to family members, friends, and folks we meet on the road who are fighting cancer. We draw parallels between the physical, mental, and emotional struggles of our journey to the physical, mental, and emotional struggles of cancer patients and families affected by cancer that we meet over the course of our trip across the United States. If we are able to inspire and lift people up, even just a little bit, we feel like we have contributed to the fight against cancer.
How many people go on each ride?
Each ride will have between 25 and 35 riders, although we average around 30 riders per trip.
Can I do part of the ride?
We are really looking for riders who can complete the entire 70 day, 4000 mile ride. That said, we have folks each year who leave the ride early because of school, a job, or a life event that must be dealt with during the 4K. We will work with you to help make the logistics work. If you can not commit to such a large amount of time please consider be involved with YACS or joining Team Fight at www.teamfight.org.
What do we eat?
A better question is “how much do we eat?” We subscribe to the motto that “food is love,” and we work hard to make sure we have fresh fruit and veggies each day. Our breakfasts and dinners are provided by our host communities and tend to consist of cereal, breakfast bars, fruit, bagels in the morning and a hot, happy, and big dinner each night. Lunches are quick and easy (as they are normally eaten at a water stop on the side of the road) and we tend to chomp down on sandwiches with chips, cookies, and fruit. We also have food sponsors across the country and get more than a fair share of pizzas, burgers and salads donated to our riders. Each year we have riders who have special dietary concerns and we work with them (and our hosts) to make sure everyone has something to eat that makes them rub their belly afterwards and say “Mmmm.”
Where do we sleep?
Most nights you will be so tired by the end of that day’s ride that you can fall asleep curled up in a ball under the support van. But don’t worry, if sleeping under the van doesn’t sound like a good time, we make sure that we have a safe and more comfortable place for you to sleep each night. Host communities usually provide us with accommodations. Along our trip we stay in churches, on gym floors, at home stays, in dorms, and in hotels.
After my fundraising goals are met – what cost are covered on the ride?
We provide your bike, some cycling gear, the support van, food, and lodging.
How much of my own money can I expect to spend?
How much you spend is completely up to you. It all boils down to how many ice cream sandwiches and souvenirs you buy during the ride. In the past, riders have spent between $10 and $1000 over the entire summer.
What do I do about chaffing?
Smile and apply ample amounts of lotion/butt butter!
Will I be safe?
Safety is our number one priority. Before and during the ride, all of our riders are given extensive safety training. We only use bike appropriate paths and bikeways. During each day’s ride we bike at a modest pace to further ensure rider safety.
When does the ride take place and what are the routes?
The 2013 rides will leave in late May or early June. The exact day is yet to be determined.
All three of our 2012 rides will leave May 27th from the Inner Harbor of Baltimore. Each ride last 70 plus days and will end the first weekend in August. We are currently working on specifics for each route and will release our finalized route details on each rides pages as they are available.
Can I get mail on the route?
We will have multiple mail drops along the route. We give each rider (and their families) this information before the rides depart. Your friends and family can use these addresses to send you goodies and care packages at different stops along the ride.
How do I keep in touch with family and friends?
Maildrops as mentioned above. We have cell phone reception (in theory) along most of our routes and each ride has a internet hotspot for riders who bring their own computers to use each night.
What is a typical day like on the 4K?
Each day is different…
