It Takes a Village: How One Corporate Partnership Positively Affected Cancer Research and Treatment

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: ANTHONY BRAMANTE, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT REPRESENTATIVE, RETRIEVE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT; MIKE MCHALE, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT, CLEVELAND HOME TITLE; AND RANDALL BRUNSWICK, CEO, RETRIEVE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT.

How much of an impact can you make when you raise more than $37 million in just 9 years? The team at VeloSano—a global fundraising movement designed to raise funds for cancer treatment and to find a cure—believes it’s an impact of life-changing (and saving) proportions.

Since it was established in 2014, VeloSano, Latin for “swift cure,” has passionately and successfully raised funds to help advance more than 220 cancer research projects in conjunction with the Cleveland Clinic. It’s pinnacle event, the VeloSano Bike to Cure celebrated its 10th year in Northeast Ohio—with 25-, 50-, 75- and 100-mile riding distances—was held on Sept. 8-9, and had 2,600 riders and 800 volunteers.

Jeff Kula, senior vice chairman, philanthropy at Cleveland Clinic, not only supports VeloSano with his team “Make It Rain,” he has a vested interest, driven by personal experience. He shared:

“It [VeloSano] came around at the perfect time for me and my family. My father was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2009 and to watch him struggle, I felt hopeless. I felt like I wasn’t able to fight with him or to help him. VeloSano was my chance to get int o the fight.! My father was given an extra seven years because of research… and my kids also got to know their grandfather because of research.”

This year marks a decade of support with VeloSano, with team “Make it Rain” raising a total of more than $1.2M for the overarching campaign through events like golf outings, fundraising events and many more. However, it takes more than volunteer efforts and events to reach, and exceed, the ambitious goals of the team each year.

Kula continued, “Our sponsors are the engine that drive the success of our team. Because of the sponsors and dollars raised from team fundraising events, it allows us to recruit more people to fundraise for the cause. In year one, we only had 16 team members, and now we have grown to over 200 team members. The team funds act as a buffer and allay their fears about signing up. In this way, the sponsors’ donations have a multiplying effect that ripple throughout the fundraising efforts.”

In a serendipitous series of events, Kula connected with his neighbors who happen to own Retrieve Medical Equipment, a U.S.-based company that purchases out-of-service medical equipment from hospitals, imaging centers and other medical facilities—refurbishing it for its customers.

“When Jeff asked us to become a sponsor and partner of team ‘Make it Rain’, it seemed like the perfect cause to get behind! So many of us are touched by cancer in some way, shape or form, and this is our way as a company to give back to this incredible and worthy effort. We look forward to partnering with VeloSano and team ‘Make It Rain’ for years to come and encourage others to take part in any way they can,” said Randall Brunswick, CEO of Retrieve Medical Equipment. “We’d also be remiss if we didn’t thank the hospitals and healthcare systems we work with. Without their partnerships, we couldn’t support this great cause.”

Since 2014, team “Make It Rain” and Retrieve Medical Equipment have created a long-term personal and professional partnership—helping successfully achieve the goals of both supporting VeloSano and raising funds for critical cancer research and treatment.

Kula expressed, “We appreciate Retrieve Medical Equipment’s support. They come back every year to support the cause. It means so much to us. They’re a big part of our success! We’re so grateful for their continued support and look forward to the future.”