Forty team members will ride across Iowa under the theme, "Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back." Weiner, the director of the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at The University of Iowa, says the riders will be celebrating cancer survivors, remembering those who we've lost to the disease, and most importantly, fighting back against cancer. "It's just a diverse group of people who are interested in spreading the news about the need to continue to fight cancer," Weiner says.

"The American Cancer Society has a tradition of grassroots presence in nearly every community in Iowa and the nation," said Iowa's American Cancer Society vice president, Gretchen Tegeler, who is leading the team. "RAGBRAI gives us the perfect opportunity to meet and thank the volunteers who have led the fight against cancer for many decades."

Each overnight stop will feature a "Relay Rally" from 7 to 8 p.m. "We're asking survivors and other people who are interested to stop by during the day or in the evenings. I'll be there along with other team members to talk about cancer research, to answer questions related to cancer, and to increase the profile of our message that we're trying to get out along the ride," Weiner says.

The American Cancer Society Mobile Action Center will be at each stop so visitors can send messages to Congress about the need for federal funding of cancer research. The group hopes to send hundreds of messages to national leaders during the week from people all over the nation, with those messages originating from Iowa. "We want to make sure everyone knows the progress being made and how they personally play a role in eliminating cancer as a major health threat," Tegeler said.

Another highlight of the American Cancer Society ride will be a large luminaria ceremony in Independence on July 26 on the main stage at Teacher's Park at approximately 8 p.m. The ceremony will celebrate survivors and honor all who have faced cancer.

Weiner says we are now curing more cancers and slowing down the rate of cancer deaths in Iowa. "Deaths from cancer in our state have dropped the past two years, and if you look at the fact that our population is aging and that cancer is more common in people as they get older, that progress is even more impressive.

"Yet we still have a long way to go. I do not think we're going to find a single cure for all cancers. This is really—I think if you want to use RAGBRAI as an analogy—it is a process that we just have to keep plugging away at. We're not going to cure cancer with one spin of the pedal. We have to keep pushing at it and keep pushing at it and eventually we'll get there," he says.

The American Cancer Society is dedicated to elimination of cancer as a major health problem by saving lives, diminishing suffering and preventing cancer through research, education, advocacy and service. Founded in 1913 and with national headquarters in Atlanta, the society has 13 regional divisions and local offices in 3,400 communities, involving millions of volunteers across the United States. For more information, call 800-ACS-2345 or visit the organization's Website.

For more information:

George Weiner, MD

American Cancer Society

Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center