100% of participant-raised dollars help Fred Hutch accelerate leading-edge research and urgently needed advances in prevention, detection, treatment, and cures.
Obliteriders Take Action
Obliteride participants raise dollars that help advance treatment, care, and cures for every person and every cancer. We are bikers, walkers, runners, supporters, and volunteers. Individuals and teams. People who have experienced cancer and families, caregivers, and friends. Meet this powerful fundraising community.
Celebrating Tara's Strength
"Tara’s case was complex and at times intensive," said Tara’s husband Jamie. "Cancer can make you feel powerless. I felt it; the feeling was shared by countless people around us. Obliteride, and Team Tara Anderson, was a way to celebrate her and raise money so that one day cancer is curable. Losing Tara was devastating, but she was so strong. I hope that, as our son grows, he and I can harness that strength. In fact, it’s a mandate she left us — to participate in events and philanthropy that support Fred Hutch and advances against lung cancer."
A Powerful Cause
What has brought the Compass Construction team back for seven amazing years? "For me, it’s the chance to join up with my colleagues, and with the support of the entire organization, to take action for a cause that we know affects people and families everywhere," said team captain Alan T. This season, Compass Construction made a difference again — almost doubling their team’s fundraising total and contributing their energy and enthusiasm from the first week to the finish line!
Riding in Honor
"I ride so our loved ones can survive cancer, or better yet, never receive a cancer diagnosis," said Polly L., a former Fred Hutch staff member. "When I managed nutrition care for patients undergoing bone marrow and stem cell transplantation, I was constantly buoyed by their courage. I was privileged to care for them alongside an amazing team of providers," she added. "I Obliteride for the people close to me who have lost their lives too young. And for those who have survived cancer thanks to the cumulative work of places like Fred Hutch."
Impact and Connection
Volunteer Sponsor Edward Jones found an immediate connection between their company purpose and Obliteride. "We believe pervasive health issues stand in the way of people building, maintaining and enjoying wealth in life," shared Market Leader Maria O'Brien. "We support community activities like Obliteride so more people can live enriching lives." More than 160 company participants and volunteers raised awareness and earned a top spot on the fundraising leaderboard.
Big Goals for Loved Ones
"This is my 9th year participating in Obliteride," said Camari O. "I participated virtually this year and exceeded my total activity goal by completing 525 miles!" Camari, a two-time cancer survivor, also exceeded her ambitious fundraising goal. "I keep participating in Obliteride year after year in memory and honor of those I love who have fought, are fighting, or have lost their lives to the insidious disease of cancer," she shared.
Taking Action for Rishi
"Rishi was diagnosed in 2022. We saw firsthand how Fred Hutch stopped at nothing, tried everything, researching all options," said Rishi's sister-in-law, Charu B. "His family and friends rallied around him, all wanting to do something. We felt that participating in Obliteride and raising funds could make a difference — if not for Rishi’s battle, then for someone else's. As team captain, I can say that the experience brought us all closer and Rishi was touched by the support. Although he is no longer with us, he made a lasting impact on others."
I owe my life to the incredible doctors at Fred Hutch and want to give back for people who are experiencing what we have been going through.”
Kevin F., first-year virtual Obliterider
Why We Obliteride
Many stories; one goal: To help cure cancer faster. Hover over each photo to explore our “WHY.”
As a researcher and physician at Fred Hutch, I love volunteering with the Obliteride team. As volunteers, we get to be the first face our riders see! It’s my small part to help the “race” to cures! — Dr. Briana F.
I ride for my beautiful, brilliant best friend and sister Alys. — Shael A.
I Obliteride in my dad’s spirit: to make this world a better place. — Shwetha S.
I Obliteride for our groundbreaking research. — Dr. Cecilia Y.
To advance treatment and care and increase access and equity for all. — Brent H.
Fred Hutch is at the pinnacle of research and care. While I was going through treatment, I met other patients that came from far and wide to get treated here. We are fueling that work. — Randy B.
As a researcher and physician at Fred Hutch, I love volunteering with the Obliteride team. As volunteers, we get to be the first face our riders see! It’s my small part to help the “race” to cures! — Dr. Briana F.
I ride for my beautiful, brilliant best friend and sister Alys. — Shael A.
I Obliteride in my dad’s spirit: to make this world a better place. — Shwetha S.
I Obliteride for our groundbreaking research. — Dr. Cecilia Y.
To advance treatment and care and increase access and equity for all. — Brent H.
Fred Hutch is at the pinnacle of research and care. While I was going through treatment, I met other patients that came from far and wide to get treated here. We are fueling that work. — Randy B.
$8M+
Raised to support Fred Hutch
3,792
Participants
369
Teams
592
Volunteers
906
Fred Hutch employees
16,592
Donors
21,282
Donations received
41
Sponsors
How We Participated
Obliteride offers SO MANY WAYS to take action! Here’s a look at how participants came together this year.
100-mile Ride
8%
5K Walk/Run
51%
50-mile Ride
13%
25-mile Ride
9%
Virtual
19%
Leaderboards
Whether participants and teams raised $1 or $100,000, their fundraising — and the support of their donors — will help fuel new discoveries, leading-edge research, and urgently needed advances in prevention, detection, treatment, and cures. As of November 15, 2023.
Top 5 Friends & Family Teams
Most Participants
| NAME | NUMBER |
| Team Rishi: Embrace the Suck | 114 |
| Team Tara Anderson | 114 |
| ALMost There! | 27 |
| Team Orange | 25 |
| Huffing for Holly | 21 |
Top 5 Companies
Most Participants
| NAME | NUMBER |
| Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center | 585 |
| Amazon | 251 |
| Edward Jones | 161 |
| Adaptive Biotechnologies | 75 |
| Lease Crutcher Lewis | 75 |
Top 5 Friends & Family Teams
Most Raised
| NAME | AMOUNT |
| Huffing for Holly | $94,820 |
| LFP Cancer Crushers | $67,725 |
| Team Orange | $56,088 |
| Team Rishi: Embrace the Suck | $45,854 |
| Team Tara Anderson | $43,845 |
Top 5 Corporate Teams
Most Raised
| NAME | AMOUNT |
| Amazon - Smack Down Cancer | $186,562 |
| Village People | $185,230 |
| Microsoft & Friends | $155,908 |
| Lewis & Friends | $122,500 |
| Compass Construction | $103,461 |
Top 5 Fred Hutch Staff Teams
Most Raised
| NAME | AMOUNT |
| Team iPCr | $61,065 |
| Team Susan | $35,000 |
| Le Tour de Fred | $28,935 |
| Obliteraisers | $26,142 |
| UW TIME Lab | $25,425 |
Top 5 Individuals
Most Raised
| NAME | AMOUNT |
| Molly Nordstrom | $142,500 |
| Lori Magaro | $50,150 |
| Rich Kaplan | $43,653 |
| Steve Mack | $42,528 |
| Steve Overman | $41,650 |
Obliteride Matters: Our Impact
Dollars from Obliteride power Fred Hutch’s most innovative work. Whether our participants chose to fundraise for our areas of greatest need, a specific disease area, a researcher or clinician, or a program, 100% of their fundraising fuels advances in lifesaving research and compassionate care.
Partnering for Cures: Areas of Greatest Need
This season, many Obliteriders chose to raise funds for Fred Hutch’s areas of greatest need. This support allows us to be agile and responsive. It speeds research by allowing our scientists to quickly follow where science leads. It allows us to hire the best minds and support their most promising ideas. And it advances supportive care programs that patients need to thrive. We’re honored to have earned the trust of our community as we work together to bring advances in prevention, detection, treatment, and cures to all who need them.
Passion and Action: Specific Disease Areas
In 2023, passionate Obliteriders also fundraised for the cancers or disease areas that were most meaningful to them. Their fundraising supports Fred Hutch scientists, clinicians, and staff working at the leading edge of their fields to advance new options for people experiencing cancer and infectious diseases.
26
Disease areas supported
Disease areas selected:
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)
Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
Bladder-Urologic Cancer
Breast Cancer
Cervical Cancer
Colon Cancer
COVID-19 Virus and Vaccine Research
Esophageal Cancer
Gastrointestinal Cancers
Gynecologic Cancers
Hematologic Cancers
HIV Virus and Vaccine Research
Infectious Disease Research
Kidney/Renal Cancer
Leukemia
Lung Cancer
Lymphoma
Melanoma
Multiple Myeloma
Neuroendocrine Tumors
Neurologic Cancers
Ovarian Cancer
Pancreatic Cancers
Prostate Cancer
Sarcoma
Thoracic, Head, and Neck Cancers
DISEASE AREA HIGHLIGHT
Breast Cancer
Fred Hutch’s multidisciplinary team works urgently — and hand-in-hand with people diagnosed with breast cancer — to strengthen prevention, advance diagnostic tools, improve the accuracy and safety of surgery and therapy, understand and stop metastasis, and improve care and quality of life during and after treatment.
Advancing Discovery: People
Fred Hutch researchers, clinicians, and staff are tireless innovators who are known for their rich collaborations across disciplines. Generous participant support helps them push limits and make new discoveries.
54
Faculty and clinicians supported
Experts selected:
James V. Alvarez, PhD
Frederick Appelbaum, MD
Alice Berger, PhD
Shailender Bhatia, MD
Jonathan B. Bricker, PhD
Susan Bullman, PhD
Paul A Carpenter, MD, MBBS
Aude G. Chapuis, MD
Delphine Chen, MD
Eric Chow, MD, MPH
Laura Connelly-Smith, MD
Larry Corey, MD
Andrew L. Coveler MD
Andrew J. Cowan, MD
H. Joachim Deeg, MD
Keith David Eaton MD, PhD
Denise Galloway, PhD
Cyrus Ghajar, PhD
Leslie Goo, PhD, MPH
Ajay K. Gopal, MD
Heather Greenlee, ND, PhD, MPH
Gavin Ha, PhD
Evan T. Hall, MD
Holly Harris, MPH, ScD
Jessica E. Hawley, MD, MS
Paul C. Hendrie, MD, PhD
David Hockenbery, MD
Eric Holland, MD, PhD
Michael Jensen, MD
Hans-Peter Kiem, MD, PhD
Sita Kugel, PhD
Johanna Lampe, PhD, RD
Hannah M. Linden MD
Keith Loeb, MD, PhD
Elizabeth Loggers, MD, PhD
Mignon Lee-Cheun Loh, MD
Julie McElrath, MD, PhD
Smitha P. Menon, MD
Soheil Meshinchi, MD, PhD
Harveshp Mogal, MD, MS, FACS, DABS, FSSO
Behnam Nabet, PhD
Peter Nelson, MD
Yaw A. Nyame, MD, MS, MBA
Johnnie José Orozco, MD, PhD
Julie Overbaugh, PhD
Venu G. Pillarisetty, MD, FACS
Christina Poh, MD
Jerald Radich, MD
Cristina P. Rodriguez, MD
Jonathan Sham, MD, MBEE
Veena Shankaran MD
Megan J. Shen, PhD
Roland Strong, PhD
Brian Till, MD
RESEARCHER HIGHLIGHT
Johanna Lampe, PhD, RD
How does our diet affect cancer risk? Dr. Lampe, an experimental nutritionist and researcher at Fred Hutch and a research professor at the University of Washington School of Public Health, studies obesity, the gut microbiome and inflammation. Through studies across racial and ethnic groups, she and her team are making new discoveries about the relationship between our bodies, what we eat, and cancer risk.
Excellence and Innovation: Programs and Specialties
Fred Hutch addresses the impact of cancer and other diseases from every angle. From collaborative research and patient support to improving health equity, participant fundraising for programs and specialties helps us do more for more people.
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Programs and specialties supported
Programs and specialties selected:
Basic Science
Breast Surgery
Cancer Prevention and Early Detection
Cancer Research
Cook for Your Life
Cord Blood Research
Data Science
Diversity, Equity and Reduction of Health Disparities
Evergreen Fund
HICOR (Hutchinson Institute for
Cancer Outcomes Research)
Immunotherapy
Long-Term Follow-Up
Office of Community Outreach & Engagement
Patient and Family Assistance Fund
Patient Housing
Pete Gross House
Radiation Oncology
Science Education Partnership
Supportive Care Services
Survivorship Program
pROGRAMS AND SPECIALTIES HIGHLIGHT
Patient and Family Assistance Fund
A cancer diagnosis often brings new financial stressors to patients and their families. This fund, sustained through generous donations (including Obliteride support), provides supplemental financial assistance for lodging, food, and fuel, helping to offset expenses in other areas of life for eligible patients.
The work we are doing together is among the most important things we can do. Family matters, community matters, and fighting cancer faster matters. Thank you!
Thomas J. Lynch Jr., MD, Fred Hutch president and director and Raisbeck Endowed Chair
About Fred Hutch
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center unites individualized care and advanced research to provide the latest cancer treatment options while accelerating discoveries that prevent, treat, and cure cancer and infectious diseases worldwide.
Based in Seattle, Fred Hutch is an independent, nonprofit organization and the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in Washington. We have earned a global reputation for our track record of discoveries in cancer, infectious disease and basic research, including important advances in bone marrow transplantation, immunotherapy, HIV/AIDS prevention, and COVID-19 vaccines. Fred Hutch operates eight clinical care sites that provide medical oncology, infusion, radiation, proton therapy, and related services. Fred Hutch also serves as UW Medicine’s cancer program.
11 Years of Dedication to Cures
In 2013, a small group of cyclists joined up to honor loved ones by fundraising for cancer research at Fred Hutch. Today, Obliteride is a community of thousands, united by the goal that started it all: To obliterate cancer. We won’t stop until we have prevention, detection, treatment, and cures for every person and every cancer.
$48M+
Raised to support Fred Hutch
22,000+
Participants
104,000+
Donors
5,300+
Volunteers
A Decade in Pictures
Hover over each photo to explore 11 amazing years of passion and action.
In 2013, 691 riders came together for the first-ever Obliteride!
In 2015, 1,000+ people rode in Obliteride – a new record at the time!
In 2018, Obliteride added a 5K walk/run and expanded our community.
In 2020, Obliteride went “virtual.” Our community stayed safe, had fun, and raised $3+ million.
In 2022, Obliteride celebrated its 10th anniversary.
In 2013, 691 riders came together for the first-ever Obliteride!
In 2015, 1,000+ people rode in Obliteride – a new record at the time!
In 2018, Obliteride added a 5K walk/run and expanded our community.
In 2020, Obliteride went “virtual.” Our community stayed safe, had fun, and raised $3+ million.
In 2022, Obliteride celebrated its 10th anniversary.
Recognizing Our 11-Year Participants
From our first season, these individuals have rallied their communities and brought their dedication to Obliteride. Their leadership makes all the difference.
Patricia Aguilar
Geoff Anderson
John Barton
Gregory Berkman
Ruth Berkman
Tom Blumenstein
Steve Brooks
Carolyn Callaghan
Evanna Charlot
Larry Corey
James Crutcher
David Dapelo
Bob Davis
Julie di Furia
Jeff Dossett
Natalie Duerkopp
Hayley Duitch
Kevin Eckert
Frederick Fiene
Kristin Funston
Brad Glaberson
Eric Greenwood
Nancy Greenwood Vehrs
Linda Helm
David Ignacio
Reid Jones
Brent Knudson
Amy Lavin
Mija Lee
Kimberly Lengle
Rafferty Lengle
Jennifer Lester
Laura McQueen
Patrick McQueen
Rex Miller
Beth Mueller
Peter Nelson
Chris Nichols
Owen Pearson
Mary Pettinger
Susie Plummer
Jerald Radich
Brett Robertson
Chad Robins
Harlan Robins
Darren Rozendaal
John Rumpeltes
Jai Russell
Catherine Sanders
Pete Schneider
Alan Schulkin
Susan Schulkin
Stuart Sloan
Carey Smith
Ben Steele
John Thelan
David Thompson
Christopher Varley
Patti Varley
Jeff Vehrs
Donald Wang
Sandy Ward
Margaret Weiland
Lisa White
Karin Yarbrough
Adam Zivin
I have been a part of this ride since it began, and will continue to participate for as long as it takes to find that cure.
Evanna C., 11-year Obliterider
$1 Million Teams
Over 11 years, each of these outstanding teams have fundraised $1 million+ (and counting!) to help Fred Hutch advance research and care.
Lewis & Friends
Microsoft & Friends
Village People
Amazon
FOUNDING SPONSOR
LEAD OUT SPONSOR
GLOBAL SPONSOR
VOLUNTEER SPONSOR
CENTURY SPONSORS
BREAK AWAY SPONSORS
DYNAMO SPONSORS
SAFETY SPONSOR
Lease Crutcher Lewis
CADENCE SPONSORS
AV Factory
Brent Hall Racing
Chubb
Freestone
QFC
TIAA
REST STOP SPONSORS
BNBuilders
Gesa Credit Union
Prime Electric
SKANSKA
Turner Construction
UMC
CLINK SPONSORS
Alaska Airlines
Compass Construction
Copiers Northwest
Sana Biotechnology
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Westerly Kitchen
IN-KIND DONORS
Elysian Brewing
Microsoft
Talking Rain