The Methodist Hospital System Bicycling Team Raises Money, Awareness for Breast Cancer
A team of 48 bicyclists from The Methodist Hospital System recently rode in the Tour de Pink at Prairie View A&M University. Tour de Pink is a charity bicycle ride solely benefitting breast cancer awareness and education and is the first event of its kind in Texas.
Eight of the riders represented Methodist West Houston Hospital. The team consisted of Methodist staff, physicians, friends, and family. They collectively raised $2,800 in donations for the Pink Ribbons Project, the community service organization that hosts Tour de Pink and other events to raise money for breast cancer programs.
“It was an amazing event and the weather was perfect,” says Dr. Janet Macheledt, medical oncologist and hematologist at Methodist West Houston. Dr. Macheledt has served the cancer needs of communities in west Houston, Katy, and Austin County since 1996. She recently affiliated with Methodist and is the medical director of the hospital’s infusion center.
“The ride is a great analogy for the disease itself,” she says. “You start off not knowing what to expect, but support from both those you know and those whom you have never met carries you through the course and across the finish line.”
Since its inception in 2005, Tour de Pink has raised more than $2 million for outreach initiatives, such as proper medical screenings for underserved communities throughout the greater Houston area. More than 1,500 riders participated in this year’s event.
