As he and his classmates logged the last few miles of their trek across the state of Michigan and their bikes crossed the finish line in South Haven, M4 Victor Hung said he was overcome by a rush of emotions.
There was relief, Hung said, that he and the other riders had completed the four-day, 300-mile trip from Port Huron successfully and safely. There was a sense of accomplishment in completing the “Coast to Coast for Cancer” charity ride, an endeavor Hung, along with M4s John Bradtke, James Burton, and Kira Couch, led to raise money for the West Michigan Cancer Center. And, Hung said, he was filled with gratitude, grateful for the overwhelming support the students received from their friends and the community that made it all possible.
“The biggest takeaway from fundraising to the actual ride is that this idea sounded easy on paper, but bringing it to life was a huge undertaking,” Hung said. “There were many moving parts and this could not have been possible without all the help we got, from every single team member.”
Hung said the efforts by him and his classmates led to donations totaling approximately $4,500 for the West Michigan Cancer Center. The fundraiser was featured twice on WWMT NewsChannel 3 on Thursday, May 4, and Sunday, May 7.
Both Bradtke and Hung have personally witnessed the impact a cancer diagnosis can have on person and their family with Bradtke’s grandfather and Hung’s father both having battled prostate cancer. Bradtke's grandmother also battled lymphoma. Those experiences fueled their desire to put together a fundraiser for the cancer center.
Previously, Bradtke, Burton, and Hung each said they were also inspired during their clinical rotations at the West Michigan Cancer Center by Drs. Anna Hoekstra, Laurence McCahill, and Gitonga Munene.
“When things got difficult for us on this journey, which it did, we drew upon the reason why we were doing this,” he said. “We were doing this for the cancer patients of WMCC. Now, we can say that we did it for the cancer patients of WMCC.”
The charity bike ride kicked off on May 4 in Port Huron with Bradtke, Burton and Hung taking part, along with M3 Erin Burgmaier and M4s Jefferson DeKloe and Sung Jik Cha. Hung said Burgmaier, who leads the cycling interest group at WMed, helped organize the charity ride and was essential to its success. The charity ride concluded on May 7 at South Beach in South Haven. During the trip, the students touched three Great Lakes – Huron, Erie, and Michigan.
Along the way, Hung said one of his favorite memories came as the group biked through the city of Battle Creek at night and were greeted by the smell of Froot Loops that wafted through the air in the Cereal City. As they traveled a little farther west, the riders made their way to the campground at Fort Custer where they were greeted by a few of their fellow students – M4s Juliana Overbey, Zach Pearson, and Kevin Stehlik – that had a fire ready for them along with burgers, chairs, and tents set up to sleep in.
“It was a priceless moment when we embraced our friends who welcomed us with open arms and delicious food,” Hung said. “It was our longest recorded ride on Strava for every single member of the team and it was a huge cherry on top of this shared accomplishment that we had such amazing friends that came out to support us and take care of us at camp.”
On the last day of the bike ride, Hung said he and the other riders were joined in Kalamazoo at the Kal-Haven trailhead by WMed student Andrew Kaylor and a few others who rode the last leg of the trip with the group to South Haven.
“Finishing this charity ride would not have been possible without the incredible support we’ve gotten from our friends and community,” Hung said.