McLeod Rides VeloSano Two-Day to Honor Coworker and Cancer Survivor

CHAMPS Oncology’s IT Data Architect John McLeod will embark on his first-ever VeloSano two-day ride, Cleveland Clinic’s fundraising initiative to support lifesaving cancer research. This “bike to cure” weekend, VeloSano’s flagship fundraising event, will take place July 20 – 21, 2019.

“There wasn’t a moment of hesitation when I chose to ride the VeloSano two-day in honor of CHAMPS Oncology’s vice president, certified tumor registrar, fellow coworker and cancer survivor Karen Schmidt, said McLeod. “It’s been a pleasure working alongside Karen and her cancer registrars for the last 10 years in support of their mission. Their dedication to each cancer patient’s story and Karen’s individual fight against this disease will be my inspiration as I cycle across Ohio’s concrete roads and rolling hills for nearly 200 miles.”

In January 2019, after 17 years working in the cancer registry industry, Schmidt was diagnosed with Stage I Ovarian Cancer. After a successful surgery and three cycles of chemotherapy at Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Center, Schmidt was cleared of this life-threatening disease.

“The VeloSano two-day is an enormous commitment and I’m so humbled and proud of John’s enthusiasm to ride in honor of my cancer journey and CHAMPS Oncology’s mission, said Schmidt. “John’s true talent and gift to this industry is his ability to take the quality cancer registry data we collect and manipulate it into valuable information that impacts treatment paths, fuels research studies and ultimately improves cancer care.”

Together as a unified team, McLeod, Schmidt and her entire team of highly skilled cancer registry experts strive to improve the quality of cancer data, make a difference in their clients’ cancer care initiatives, and live by the idea that better data saves lives™.

John has been cycling since college and has continued his passion for riding by commuting to and from work 90% of the time while working at CHAMPS Oncology for the past 10 years.

VeloSano is an inspirational community campaign that goes far beyond a bike ride. 100% of all dollars raised by participants directly supports lifesaving cancer research efforts across the entire Cleveland Clinic organization. These dollars are used to discover more about the causes of cancer and develop better ways to treat it, with the ultimate goal of discovering a cure.

MORE: To learn more about the VeloSano two-day, and to help John meet his fundraising goal and make a significant impact improving cancer care outcomes through research, click here.

TWEETABLE: McLeod rides @bikeVeloSano Two-Day to honor @CHAMPS_Oncology coworker and cancer survivor @Karen_E_Schmidt. 🚴 🎗️ #betterdatasaveslives