OCRA Rings in Spring with a Return to In-Person Fitness Fundraisers

Spring is almost here and we’re welcoming the warmer weather with a careful and creative return to in-person OCRA Heroes events, including Ovarian Cycle rides and other fitness fundraisers! And many events will still include virtual options, too. 

A focus on safety–and fundraising

Though upcoming events will look a little different than the indoor spin sessions from years’ past, the new protocols have enabled organizers to get inventive with fun ways to fundraise via fitness. A first-ever Ovarian Cycle event in Mill Valley, California, for instance, will include a guided bike tour around a scenic loop that’s a favorite with area cyclists. “COVID gave this event the opportunity to have that guided outdoor bike ride,” said Caroline Frost, chair of Ovarian Cycle Mill Valley. “Because of COVID… we [decided] to have multiple options. I think that actually got more people involved because now we have all these bike groups who want to do this.”

Another event in the Midwest will take place in an open-sided parking garage. “We’re excited to be a part of it and be able to support all of these amazing people who have been impacted by ovarian cancer,” said Bethany Lang, chair of Ovarian Cycle St. Louis and general manager of TruFusion STL fitness studio, which is hosting the outdoor event that will include both spin and yoga sessions. With safety as a priority, they will be spacing the bikes 10 feet apart, disinfecting them with both spray and wipes, and also using industrial-sized fans to increase air flow. And for the rooftop yoga sessions, the mats will be spaced 10 – 12 feet apart and everything will be thoroughly disinfected. It’s particularly meaningful for the organizers to be able to bring their community together in person for this first-ever Ovarian Cycle St. Louis fundraiser, as the inspiration behind it is someone from their own team. Julie Funke is a TruFusion spinning and yoga instructor who was diagnosed in 2020 with ovarian cancer. She is still teaching during her treatment and will be leading stationary bike and yoga classes at the event. “Julie has been a huge part of the community and we want to show our support,” said Bethany. 

The events are a wonderful way to bring people together in solidarity while also raising critical funds for ovarian cancer research. “Any amount of money [given] to research makes a difference,” said Caroline. She is organizing the Mill Valley event in honor of her mother, Amy Frost, who passed away from cancer in 2020. “I can’t even imagine what would have happened if my mom was diagnosed 10 years earlier with Stage IV. I wouldn’t have had my mother for another four years without … the research they have now.” 

Get more details about the Mill Valley and St. Louis events below, and click here to find out about other fitness fundraisers or how to host one of your own:

Ovarian Cycle Mill Valley, CA

• A guided outdoor cycle
• Outdoor stationary bike class
• Virtual option to sweat for a cure at home

Ovarian Cycle St. Louis, MO

• Outdoor cycle class
• Outdoor yoga class
• Virtual fundraiser