In June of 2025, I’ll be riding UNBOUND, one of the most well known gravel races in the world. I’m riding on behalf of the Chris Klug Foundation (CKF), a nonprofit that educates on the importance of organ, eye, & tissue donation! Not only will I be riding in their honor, but I will also be fundraising for their cause, in support of organ, eye & tissue donation. It is a cause that furthers my ability to provide vision restoring surgeries for patients I care for as a cornea transplant surgeon.
So, why CKF? Although I am able to take on such a daunting physical (and mental!) task like riding the UNBOUND 100 Gravel race, there are still more than 103,000 people in the U.S. who cannot because they're awaiting a lifesaving and vision restoring transplants. Everyday 17 people die waiting for their turn for their transplant. And every 8 minutes, someone new is added to that waitlist. Just one person has the ability to save up to 8 lives as an organ donor and improve up to 75 lives through tissue and eye donation. But here’s a stark reality: although 95% of U.S. adults support the idea of organ donation, only 48% are actually registered as organ donors. We can do better! I’m riding in the hopes of eliminating the wait for a transplant. I know that’s a lofty goal, but if my riding helps just one person from having to wait, I believe it's worth it.
CKF is making huge strides to educate people of all ages, with the goal of registering more individuals as organ donors across the U.S., in the hopes of one day eliminating the wait for transplant nationwide. Please help me raise the very important funds they need to continue their lifesaving mission. Any amount helps and 100% of your donation is tax-deductible. Donations can be made via credit card or check.
