The 17th annual Courage Ride was held in Iowa City and Washington on Saturday, August 14. Courage Ride is an annual bike ride through rural Iowa to raise funds and awareness for sarcoma cancer.

The ride honors the life of Seth Bailey, the son of founders Tom and Jackie Bailey. Seth was diagnosed with soft-tissue synovial sarcoma cancer and passed away in 2003.

Seth’s mom, Jackie, explained that when Seth was diagnosed there weren’t many treatment options or resources available to patients with sarcoma cancer. She said the first year of the Courage Ride, 2005, the money raised was sent to California. But, wanting to keep the funds local, the Bailey family worked with The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and now funds raised are sent to The University of Iowa Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center Sarcoma Research Program.

There are two types of sarcomas: soft tissue, which are found in the muscle, blood vessels, nerves and joints, and bone sarcomas, which are rarer.

Since 2005, Courage Ride has raised over $660,000 for sarcoma cancer research and proceeds have seeded many sarcoma cancer research grants.

Jackie said that, although her son lost his battle to sarcoma, it is extremely important and meaningful to see sarcoma research continue to develop and grow. She said awareness of the disease has also grown thanks to the annual bike ride.

The Courage Ride is growing itself, too. This is the first year there was a Washington County route, which included lengths of the Kewash Trail and started and ended at the Washington County Fairgrounds, including breakfast and lunch served in Dallmeyer Hall.

“Every year, it seems like [the ride] gets a little bit bigger,” said Bowen Yoder, a sarcoma cancer survivor who helped in the kitchen during the ride. “There’s more people that get involved with setting everything up. Everyone just kind of donates their time a little bit and it’s getting bigger and bigger. Next year — you never know where it’s going to go.”

Laura Liddle, who is 18 months post-surgery for her sarcoma, participated in the ride this year.

“It’s very special to be able to do this,” Liddle said. “I had my hamstring removed, so riding a bike is something that I can still do. It’s been nice to be able to participate in this.”