June 28, 2024
Dear 4K for Cancer Community,
We want to share with you an important update on our 4K for Cancer program. Traditionally, at this time of year, our staff would be preparing for their mid-trip visits to check-in on our 4K run and ride teams, who would be halfway through their summer-long, life-changing 4,000-mile trek across the country. However, this summer is unfortunately different and, candidly, although I’ve been wanting to update you all on the 4K program, I’ve been struggling to find the right words.
It is humbling and bittersweet to announce that, after much consideration, Ulman Foundation made the difficult decision to pause the 4K for Cancer program this summer. While this decision was an incredibly difficult one to make, please know that our commitment to supporting the adolescent and young adult cancer community remains unwavering and has been made possible by your support and participation in this incredible program.
Like many organizations, Ulman Foundation and the 4K for Cancer program have experienced a post-pandemic shift. Despite our great efforts to adapt and modernize our approaches to recruitment and the overall 4K experience, we have not been able to return the program to the participation levels needed to sustain it. With this pause, our goal is to redirect our focus toward new, innovative, and engaging programming that will allow us to connect with today’s college-age individuals in a more accessible way. We’re having inspiring conversations with a variety of stakeholders that I’m confident will inform an exciting and impactful next chapter for Ulman and the 4K for Cancer program. More to come on that in the coming months, I promise this group will be the first to hear our plans.
Since its humble beginnings on the campus of Johns Hopkins University in 2001, 4K for Cancer has raised over $8 Million to support the Ulman Foundation, making it possible for us to provide essential resources like fertility preservation, housing, and social support to adolescents and young adults facing cancer. The program has engaged over 2,400 participants from more than 200 different college campuses, collectively cycled and run more than 3 million miles, and brought hope to countless communities and individuals. For over 20 years, your dedication and passion have made a tangible difference in the lives of many, and for that, we are immensely grateful.
To all the incredible 4K for Cancer alumni who tirelessly biked or ran across the country in support of our mission, we know that 4K was a turning point in many of your lives. It was a journey toward self-discovery and an invaluable learning experience after which you stepped out into the world as a changed person. We invite you to join us as Ulman Foundation continues to provide life-changing programs and do life-changing work. As 4K Alumni, you all have the opportunity to continue to make an impact in the young adult cancer community. By volunteering, becoming a board member, or participating in experiences like riding in Key to Keys or running with Team Ulman in the New York City Marathon, you have the opportunity to continue to spread the spirit of the 4K for Cancer community.
Thank you for your continued support as we embark on this new chapter. Together, we remain steadfast in our mission to make a meaningful difference in the lives of young adult cancer community members, and we look forward to sharing more about our future plans and how you can participate.
With heartfelt appreciation,
Brock Yetso
Ulman Foundation President & CEO