Collegian file photo.
MORGAN SKERIES | STAFF REPORTER | mskeries@butler.edu
Over the summer, 24 Foundation will be back for a sixth year in Indiana to host 24 Indianapolis, which will be held at Butler University’s campus. Participants can walk or ride bikes to raise money for cancer survivorship.
It will start at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 23 and end at 7 p.m. the next day.
The 24 Foundation holds 24-hour events in three major cities including Indianapolis, Charlotte and Baltimore.
The 24 Indianapolis will be a three-mile closed loop course through campus starting in front of Clowes Hall, and because it is a closed loop, there are no cars on the road.
There is an entrance fee to register and every participant collects money through sponsors. The money the participants raise will be donated and go towards Indiana University’s Simon Cancer Center, which focuses on cancer survivorship.
Lisa Farley is on the board of managers for the 24 Indianapolis event and an assistant professor in physical education.
“The money goes towards people who are in the throes of cancer treatment,” she said. “Not medical treatment, but art therapy and music therapy. All the research money is great and it’s helping people live longer, but they have side effects, and we really focus on those side effects known as cancer survivorship.”
Brandon Cole is an instructor in human movement and health science education. He has been a participant also helped to coordinate some of the events.
Cole was diagnosed with cancer last year. Before being diagnosed, he was a Division I athlete and did mountaineering and backpacking. But, it got to the point where he could not walk up a flight of stairs due to the disease.
Cole said that hopefully being able to ride this year will show where he has been to get to where he is now.
“Treatment sucks, cancer sucks,” Cole said. “Sometimes in the treatment you kind of feel like you’re on an island, people can see you look uncomfortable and you don’t feel good and everything is not right. It’s hard to express to people what is going on inside.”
Cole also explained the importance of therapy that helps with cancer survivorship.
“The art therapy and the music therapy is something that is remembered,” Cole said. “Those side therapies, not the traditional medical ones, is very different. Treating the person, as well as the cancer, is important. It provides support for them and is distracting away from the pain.”
Farley stresses the event is a ride, not a race.
“People can volunteer if they don’t want to walk or ride,” Farley said. “I rode 70 miles last year and my friends did 100 miles. Nobody cares how much you do. We have tents that we set up, and it’s just fun to talk to people and hear their music. We make a lot of friendships.”
Overall, Farley said she just wants more people to come, especially from the Butler community, because it takes place right here on campus.
“If people don’t want to walk or ride or volunteer, the neighborhood could always use more people to cheer,” Farley said. “The houses throw parties and it’s nice to have people out on the course cheering for us. It’s not a closed group, anybody who wants to be a part of it can.”
