Pedaling around Charlotte’s Booty Loop with a goal to change the conversation about cancer was the spark that started 24 Foundation, and as an organization we’ve been an engine for advancements in survivorship and navigation services for the past 15 years.
Like any combustion engine, you need a spark, but you also need fuel and air. The air is electric at every 24 Foundation event, with stories to share, people to ride with and goals to hit. Our events are like no other, and I still get goose bumps at the start.
The fuel – the most important piece of the equation – is you. Without you, there is no 24 Foundation. There is no funding for programs that insurance won’t cover. There is no direct impact on people’s lives that is measurable, tangible and oh so meaningful. My role as Founder, as well as the Board of Directors and staff is to provide the support, tools, technology and platform for you to tell your story, add your voice and make your difference. We #FightAsOne, but each and every story is unique, important and adds to the fabric of beauty of 24 Foundation.
Over the past 15 years, many people have taken leadership roles as team leaders, volunteer captains, Board members, and staff. Patti Weiss stepped up as our first Executive Director, and after seeing us through raising over $1 million a year, passed the reigns to Basil Lyberg. Basil passed the reigns to Peter Davis, and now former Charlotte City Manager, Curt Walton, has stepped in as interim Executive Director to lead the organization through the next leadership change. I am so thankful for key staff over the years – Plum, Janet, Amanda, Maddie, and others – who put their hearts and minds into the events and really connected with riders, volunteers and donors. They will be part of the Booty family forever.
In fact, we are all part of the Booty family with our shared passion for what 24 Foundation does, how we do it and most importantly why we do it. Going into our 15th year, our organization financially is in great shape, our dedication to our mission has never been stronger and the cancer community needs us now more than ever. We are stepping up our impact with increased funding in each host city, including a new $1.5 million gift to the Levine Cancer Institute in Charlotte. You make that possible, and I am humbled and grateful for your efforts.
Thank you so much for making 24 Foundation so special. See you on the Booty Loop, if not before.
Spencer Lueders
Founder, 24 Foundation