The 6th Annual Gear Up Against Kids Cancer is coming May 1, 2027—and there are plenty of good reasons to sign up early.

For starters, registration is just $60 through March 26.

But signing up now also gives you time to choose your course, start training at your own pace, and invite friends, family, or coworkers to join you.

Choose Your Challenge

• 28 miles — Research Course
• 43 miles — Discovery Course
• Metric Century (62.6 mi) — Breakthrough Course

You don’t have to be ready today. You just need a goal to work toward.

Every registration supports LOCAL childhood cancer research at the Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute at UT San Antonio.

👉 Register: GearUpAgainstKidsCancer.org

📅 Saturday, May 1, 2027
📍 Floresville Event Center

Every mile. Every rider. Every child.

Because when we’re fighting childhood cancer, NO KID rides alone. Don’t miss out—secure your spot now!

Price increases March 26, 2027

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Bring a friend and earn a little back!

After you register, share your unique BikeReg referral code, and for every cyclist who signs up using your code, you’ll receive a 10% referral refund on your registration.

Register

Don’t just wear the gold ribbon. Gear Up and Ride for what it represents.

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month may be ending, but the mission continues. 🎗️

On May 1, 2027, join the 6th Annual Gear Up Against Kids Cancer and ride 28, 43, or 62.6 miles in support of childhood cancer research at Greehey CCRI.

Every mile. Every rider. Every child.

Make your miles matter. Register today. Bring a rider. Build a team. Help move the next breakthrough closer.

👉 GearUpAgainstKidsCancer.org

#GearUpAgainstKidsCancer #NoKidRidesAlone #ChildhoodCancerResearch #ChildhoodCancerAwareness Month

The 6th Annual Gear Up Against Kids Cancer rolls out on Saturday, May 1, 2027, and we’d love for you to bring a few friends.

Whether you’re tackling the 28-mile Research Course, stepping up to the 43-mile Discovery Course, or going the distance on the Metric Century Breakthrough Course, every rider and every mile helps support childhood cancer research at the Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute.

And this year, inviting your friends can help pay for your own registration.

HOW THE REFERRAL PROGRAM WORKS

After you register, you’ll receive your own unique referral link.

Share it with your riding buddies, coworkers, family members, cycling club—or that friend who keeps saying, “I really need to get back on my bike.”

For every new rider who registers through your referral link, you receive 10% of your registration fee back.

Keep referring riders, and the refunds keep adding up.

You can earn back up to 100% of your registration fee.
That means you’re not just helping grow the Gear Up community. You could ultimately ride for free.

THE MORE FRIENDS YOU BRING, THE MORE YOU GET BACK.

• 1 referral = 10% back
• 5 referrals = 50% back
• 10 referrals = 100% back

Referral refunds cannot exceed the amount you originally paid for registration.

WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?

Because Gear Up Against Kids Cancer has always been about more than miles. It’s about people.

It’s about riding alongside someone who keeps you moving when the hills get tough. It’s about introducing someone new to the cycling community. And it’s about hundreds of riders coming together for children and families facing something far tougher than anything we’ll encounter on the road.

Since the first Gear Up ride, cyclists from across our community have ridden tens of thousands of miles while raising funds to help local researchers search for better, safer, and more effective treatments for childhood cancer.

The best way to grow that impact is simple:

Bring someone with you.

REGISTER EARLY AND SAVE

• Early-Bird Registration: $60, Available through March 26, 2027
• Regular Registration: $80

Your registration includes a fully supported ride with:

• Three route options: 28, 43, and 62.6 miles
• Stocked rest stops along the routes
• SAG support
• First-aid and medical support
• Route and traffic support
• Start/Finish activities at the Floresville Event Center
• A community of riders united behind one mission

YOUR NEXT MOVE
Register for Gear Up Against Kids Cancer.

Then send your referral link to the people you want riding beside you on May 1.

Build your crew.
Earn back your registration.
Help us put more riders on the road for childhood cancer research.

EVERY MILE. EVERY RIDER. EVERY CHILD.

This Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, turn awareness into action by joining us for the 6th Annual Gear Up Against Kids Cancer.

Today, 85% of children diagnosed with cancer are alive at least five years after diagnosis, and many will ultimately be considered cured. That progress shows what research can make possible—and why we keep riding.

📅 WHEN: Saturday, May 1, 2027
📍 WHERE:  Floresville Event Center
🚴 ROUTES: Fully supported 28mi, 43mi and Metric Century routes

💛 Early-bird registration: $60 through March 26, 2027 (guaranteed a t-shirt)
🎟️ Full registration: $80

All funds raised stay local and support childhood cancer research at the Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute.

Register today: GearUpAgainstKidsCancer.org

When fighting cancer, NO KID rides alone.

#GearUpAgainstKidsCancer #ChildhoodCancerAwarenessMonth #NoKidRidesAlone #TexasCycling

We’re kicking off Childhood Cancer Awareness Month with the SATX Social Ride 3rd Annual Gold Ribbon Ride, and we’d love to have you roll with us.
Join SATX Social Ride and the Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute for a relaxed evening ride bringing the San Antonio cycling community together to show support for kids and families affected by childhood cancer.
If you have a Gear Up Against Kids Cancer shirt from a past ride, wear it! It would be great to see a mix of shirts from different years out on the road.
Don’t have one? We’ve got you covered. We’ll have a limited number of leftover Gear Up shirts from past events to give away while supplies last.
Come early, grab a drink, hang out, and make an evening of it. There will be a food truck on site, and we’re also hoping to have a band playing live music. We’ll share more on that as soon as it’s confirmed.
Please bring a helmet and working front and rear lights so everyone can enjoy a safe ride.
Route details coming soon.
Come ride with us, wear some gold, and help us start September with a strong show of support for childhood cancer awareness.
When fighting cancer, NO KID rides alone.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the 5th Annual Gear Up Against Kids Cancer bike ride such an incredible success. From our riders and volunteers to our sponsors and community partners, your energy, generosity, and commitment truly brought this event to life. Because of you, we are able to continue advancing the mission of the Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute at UT Health San Antonio.

Year after year, this ride reflects the power of community and a shared belief that no child should have to face cancer alone. Your support directly fuels lifesaving research and helps move us closer to breakthroughs that give hope to children and families facing cancer. Together, we are making a lasting impact—one mile at a time.

We are deeply grateful for your continued support and are already looking ahead with excitement. We hope you’ll join us again for the 6th Annual Gear Up Against Kids Cancer bike ride on Saturday, May 1, 2027—it’s going to be another unforgettable ride!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Childhood cancer research and care rely on a broad, multidisciplinary workforce. In the United States, nearly 100K professionals work across 13 major job categories, supporting everything from bedside care and laboratory research to clinical trials, data analysis, survivorship, and advocacy. 

Below is a category‑by‑category breakdown, with sources and clear assumptions.

Estimated U.S. Employment by Category.

⚠️ These are order‑of‑magnitude estimates, not exact counts. Ranges reflect part‑time roles, research effort %, and mixed adult/pediatric positions.

1. Physicians & Advanced Medical Providers   4,000–5,000

• 2,200–2,500 board‑certified pediatric hematologist‑oncologists
• 500–700 pediatric oncology APPs (NPs/PAs)
• 600–800 subspecialists (BMT, neuro‑oncology, radiation, survivorship)

Sources: ASPHO & ABP workforce surveys; AAP Pediatrics workforce modeling [publications.aap.org], [The Americ…kforce …]

2. Nursing & Direct Patient Care     25,000–30,000

• • Pediatric oncology inpatient & outpatient nurses
  • Infusion nurses, research nurses, nurse managers, PCTs
  • Pediatric oncology is a small subspecialty within nursing, but every pediatric cancer program employs dozens to hundreds of nurses.

Sources: HRSA workforce data; APHON; hospital staffing ratios [bhw.hrsa.gov], [aphon.org]

3. Laboratory & Bench Scientists     12,000–15,000

• Principal Investigators, staff scientists, postdocs, lab techs
• Basic, translational, and pre‑clinical pediatric cancer research
• COG alone involves 10,000+ scientific experts globally, with the majority in the U.S.

Sources: Children’s Oncology Group; NCI Pediatric Oncology Branch [datacatalo…cancer.gov], [ccr.cancer.gov]

4. Clinical Research Operations 9,000–11,000

• Clinical research coordinators
• Trial managers, CRAs, study start‑up staff
• Every COG or NCI‑sponsored trial requires multiple full‑time research staff.

Sources: COG network size; NIH clinical trials infrastructure [datacatalo…cancer.gov], [stjude.org]

5. Data Science & Biostatistics     3,000–4,000

• Biostatisticians
• Bioinformaticians
• Clinical data managers

Sources: St. Jude, Fred Hutch, NCI workforce models [fredhutch.org], [ccr.cancer.gov]

6. Pharmacy & Drug Development 2,000–3,000

• Pediatric oncology pharmacists
• IDS pharmacists
• GMP manufacturing & PK scientists

Sources: Oncology pharmacist workforce studies; NCI GMP programs [pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov], [stjude.org]

7. Psychosocial & Mental Health Services    6,000–8,000

• Social workers
• Psychologists
• Child life specialists
• Counselors and psychiatrists
• National pediatric cancer care standards require psychosocial staffing.

Sources: COG supportive care guidelines; HRSA behavioral health data [phi.org], [bhw.hrsa.gov]

8. Rehabilitation, Survivorship & Support Therapies     5,000–6,000

• PT, OT, SLP
• Survivorship program staff
• Nutritionists and late‑effects specialists
• Survivor population >500,000 in the U.S., driving workforce demand.

Sources: NCI survivorship data; pediatric rehab Workforce [cancer.gov], [Careers in…aspho.org]

9. Genetics & Counseling     1,500–2,000

• Genetic counselors
• Genomics program staff

Sources: National Society of Genetic Counselors; pediatric oncology program staffing [fredhutch.org], [cancer.gov]

10. Public Health, Prevention & Education     2,500–3,500

• Public health scientists
• Community engagement and outreach staff
• Implementation scientists

Sources: NCI Childhood Cancer Data Initiative; community health workforce data [nccrdatapl…cancer.gov], [phi.org]

11. Administration, Finance & Compliance     8,000–10,000

• Research administrators
• Grants & finance staff
• Regulatory and IRB professionals
• Clinical trials are administratively labor‑intensive.

Sources: NIH grants administration ratios; large academic health systems [bhw.hrsa.gov], [stjude.org]

12. Advocacy, Fundraising & Policy     2,000–3,000

• Nonprofit staff
• Government relations
• Foundation and development teams

Sources: CureSearch, CCRF, ALSAC (St. Jude) employment data [curesearch.org], [childrenscancer.org]

13. Education & Training 2,000–2,500

• Fellowship & residency faculty
• Training grant staff (T32, K12)
• Medical educators

Sources: ACGME, ABP, NCI training programs [abp.org], [orit.resea…ch.bcm.edu]

Overall, meeting future needs will require coordinated investment across clinical care, research infrastructure, workforce well‑being, and training to ensure that scientific advances translate equitably into improved outcomes for children and families.

 

Gear Up ’26 Early Packet Pickup

We’re excited to share an important update regarding early packet pickup for the upcoming Gear Up Against Kids Cancer on Saturday, May 2, 2026.

Early packet pickup will take place at:
REI Community Room
11745 IH-10 W, Ste 110
San Antonio, TX 78230

📅 Date: April 29
⏰ Time: 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Please plan to visit REI during early packet pickup to collect your event materials.

Packet pickup will be available the day of the ride, starting at 6:00 am.

Thank you for helping make this an amazing event—we look forward to seeing you soon!

Best regards,
Gear Up Against Kids Cancer Team

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Group rides are one of the greatest parts of cycling—they strengthen community, boost fitness, and make long miles feel lighter. They also depend on teamwork and awareness. One of the simplest and most important ways to help keep a group ride smooth and safe is by maintaining your position in line. Below, you’ll find key reasons why holding your place matters and how it supports a safer, more enjoyable experience for everyone on the route.

🚴‍♂️ 1. Safety for Everyone
A predictable group is a safe group. When riders hold a steady line:

• There’s less chance of wheels overlapping
• Sudden swerves or abrupt braking are avoided
• Riders can anticipate movements and react confidently
• Even small deviations can ripple backward, causing near misses or crashes.

🚴‍♂️ 2. Better Drafting and Energy Conservation

Group riding works because of drafting—the reduced wind resistance from another rider.

• When everyone holds a straight, consistent line, Riders behind you benefit from a clean draft
• You avoid creating gaps or forcing others to chase The group maintains smoother, more efficient pacing
• A steady paceline means everyone saves energy and can ride stronger together.

🚴‍♂️ 3. Clear Communication
A predictable line helps signals travel backward quickly and reliably.

Whether it’s:

• Hand signals for road hazards
• Verbal cues (“Slowing!” “Car back!”)
• Rotations through a paceline
• All of these work better when riders stay aligned.

🚴‍♂️ 4. Respect for Other Road Users
A clean, disciplined line:

• Takes up less space on the road
• It is easier for cars to pass safely
• Demonstrates courtesy to drivers and pedestrians
  A group that spreads unpredictably across the road not only frustrates motorists but also increases the risk for the entire ride.

🚴‍♂️ 5. Helps Build Trust in the Group
Smooth group rides depend on trust. Holding your line shows other riders that:

• You’re attentive
• You’re predictable
• You’re committed to the group’s safety
• This builds confidence and camaraderie — the foundation of enjoyable group cycling.

🚴‍♂️ 6. Reduces “Accordion” Effects
When riders drift or brake unexpectedly, the riders behind them overreact, causing:

• Sudden speed changes
• Gaps in the group
• Hard accelerations to catch up
• Staying in line minimizes these surges, keeping the group tighter and the ride more comfortable.

7. 🚴‍♀️ Tips for Holding Your Line

• Look ahead, not at your front wheel
• Relax your upper body to avoid twitchy movements
• Keep your hands near the brakes in a tight group
• Avoid sudden swerves — go around obstacles gradually
• If you must leave the line, signal clearly first

🚴‍♂️ Conclusion
Group rides work best when everyone rides smoothly, predictably, and respectfully. Staying in line isn’t just good etiquette — it’s a fundamental skill that keeps the group safer, more efficient, and more enjoyable for every rider involved.

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