CLEVELAND — Lauri Powaski has always loved being there for her boys, even on the day she was diagnosed with cancer.

What You Need To Know

  • Money raised from VeloSano's Bike-to-Cure ride has funded research for more than 35 types of cancer

  • More than 2,800 people took part in the 11th annual event riding from 6 to 100 miles

  • One woman rides just two years after being diagnosed with breast cancer

“I was just shell shocked, and I had to just kind of pull myself together and go run this fundraiser,” Powaski said of the day she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Powaski was diagnosed in October of 2022. Despite having been diligent about getting tested over the years, hers had been difficult to diagnose.

“Those preliminary tests to check for those things, it didn't catch it. So that's why my oncologist said, 'You know, there's still room to do better,’” she said.

That’s one of the reasons Powaski decided to take part in the VeloSano’s Bike-to-Cure ride on Saturday.

“So other people don't have to go through that," she said. "Things can be detected early and maybe they can just have surgery for a treatment rather than the multitude of treatments that I endured."

“I see too many patients every single day that don’t have good treatment options," said Dr. Dale Shepard, medical oncologist at the Cleveland Clinic and medical director of VeloSano. "We have people that can’t tolerate treatments because of the toxicities. I have patients that their disease unfortunately progresses, and I need more treatment options. The only way we get anything in terms of progress with cancer therapy is with research."

He said even the most basic ideas need funding.

“One of the things I do is oversee pilot grants," he said. "It’s great if you have an idea for cancer research, but sometimes you need basic research to get that grant funding. These are awards that stimulate these ideas, get seed money to start a project and then get further grant money."

VeloSano has funded research for more than 35 kinds of cancer, from screening to look for early cancers, prevention, to clinical trials.

Just two years after her diagnosis, Powaski is glad to be part of the answer. As a recent empty nester—her youngest just went away to college—she’s also looking forward to doing stuff for herself.

Her husband planned a trip to Key West during her cancer treatment, and she’s looking forward to having more trips now that she’s feeling good again and healthy.

“And be grateful for just nice things like this and just enjoy life,” Powaski said.