Skiing for Sarcoma: Peaks with a Purpose IV

JR and Ryan are taking on an epic challenge: skiing 40,000 vertical feet in a single day to support critical Sarcoma research

Hey friends!

This year, JR and Ryan are joining Peaks with a Purpose IV, committing to challenging our quad strength for a cause that's deeply personal to us. We'll be skiing 40,000 vertical feet in just one day — equivalent to descending from the summit of Mount Everest to sea level, and then some. Ryan & JR will contribute $1 for every 100 vertical feet they end up skiing.

Why We're Taking On This Challenge

This year, we're dedicating our efforts to Gabbi, who represents what true resilience looks like.

Gabbi is Ryan's wife and JR's sister-in-law. For over 11 years, she has been fighting Ewing Sarcoma with remarkable determination, enduring more than 50 rounds of chemotherapy and radiation treatments throughout her journey. Gabbi's first occurrence was in 2014, she ran the Boston marathon in 2022 (read her inspiring story here), only to discover her cancer had returned.

In a beautiful celebration of love and life, Gabbi and Ryan tied the knot earlier this month! Even while managing ongoing treatments, Gabbi brightened the day with her quiet strength and contagious determination — qualities that continue to inspire everyone around her.

The Reality of Sarcoma

The facts about Sarcoma underscore why your support matters:

• It's a rare cancer, accounting for only 1% of adult cancers but 15-20% of childhood cancers
• Only about 20% of cases are curable by surgery alone
• Another 50-55% respond to a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation
• For nearly half of all patients, the disease resists all current treatment approaches

New research and innovative therapeutic approaches are crucial for patients like Gabbi.

Your Donation Makes a Difference

Every contribution goes directly to the Sarcoma Foundation of America, funding essential research that could lead to breakthrough treatments for Gabbi and thousands of others facing this difficult diagnosis.

While our challenge lasts just one day, it represents our commitment to supporting Gabbi and the many others who face their own uphill battles every day.

Help us make each vertical foot count. Donate here!

Together, we can support Sarcoma warriors and the research that gives them hope.

With determination and gratitude, JR and Ryan