34 of 50: Trek 100 & the MACC Fund
The Trek 100 and the Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer Fund
Here’s an amazing – and inspiring – statistic for you: In just over 40 years, the five-year survival rate for childhood cancer has gone from 20% to 80%. That kind of success is made possible not only by great minds but also big hearts. For example, the Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer (MACC) Fund has contributed tens of millions of dollars to research that’s been crucial to fighting pediatric cancer and related blood disorders.
Every year, Trek Bicycle, headquartered in Waterloo (just outside of Madison) hosts the Trek 100, a cycling event that offers something for everyone, with rides ranging from 17 to 100 miles through the bucolic scenery of Jefferson County. Funds raised by the Trek 100 go to the MACC fund. Since the first Trek 100 in 1990, the event has led to more than than $14 million in contributions.
This is what it can look like when a community works together…
When it comes to the Trek 100, M3 donates funds at both the corporate and employee level. In addition, employees and their family members volunteer at the event, while others participate as cyclists.
Ryan Barbieri and Jeff Ireland both explain that getting involved in the event is great way to support our client, Trek Bicycle, as well as help raise funds for an organization like MACC. In addition, childhood cancer is a reality that’s directly affected M3 employees, which makes M3’s support even more important.
Nancy Cirra became involved with the MACC Fund almost four years ago when her grandson Caden was diagnosed with leukemia. He was admitted to the MACC Fund Center at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and started treatments over the course of the next three years.
Here’s what Nancy has to say about her experience and involvement with the MACC Fund: “For the past eight months, Caden has been cancer- and chemo-free. I am still to this day completely blown away by the talented people at the MACC Fund Center. They instantly became an extension of my family, and we are grateful not only for everything they’ve done for my grandson but for everything they do for so many sick children. The first year my grandson was sick, I led a fundraiser through the MACC Fund and raised over $15,000. My family and I participate in MACC-related events as often as we can through volunteering and donations. I feel blessed to be able to support such an outstanding organization right in our own backyard.”
Thanks to generous donors such as M3 Insurance, great things are being accomplished in the MACC Fund Research Center of the Medical College of Wisconsin, in the MACC Fund Center at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, as well as in the MACC Fund Childhood Cancer Research Wing at the University of Wisconsin’s Carbone Cancer Center and Marshfield Clinic. MACC Fund-supported research impacts the treatment of children throughout the state, the nation, and the world.
— Colleen Moran
Development Officer | MACC Fund
