An annual bike ride in honor of a Riverside man who died of sarcoma raised $120,000 for the Sarcoma Research Program at UI Health Care’s Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center this year.

The Courage Ride is an annual bike ride aiming to raise funds for cancer research. It was founded 20 years ago by Jackie and Tom Bailey of Riverside in honor of their son, Seth who was 25-years old when he passed away after being diagnosed with sarcoma. The funds from the ride provides over 85% of the sarcoma research program’s funding. This year’s event, held in August, brought riders across nine different states together. 

The research program maintains one of the largest sarcoma tissue banks in the Midwest while undertaking dozens of research projects and several full-scale studies.

According to the research center, sarcoma makes up just 1% of adult cancers but over 20% of childhood cancers and has over 150 subtypes, making the condition difficult to diagnose and treat. Sarcoma is a cancer that starts in bones and soft tissue, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The 2026 Courage Ride is scheduled for Saturday, August 8th. Online registration will open next spring. To date, the Courage Ride has raised more than $935,000.