The Cheltenham-based lung cancer nonprofit Ride Hard Breathe Easy (RHBE) recently awarded Fox Chase Cancer Center $50,000 for a new program called “Lung Cancer in Never-Smokers: An Initiative to Raise Community Awareness and Establish a Novel Risk Registry”. 

The amount brings the nonprofit’s total to over $750,000 in donations to lung cancer patients at hospitals, including Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Lung Center, Crozer Health, Jefferson Health, and Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center.

Nationally, they’ve also given to Dartmouth Cancer Center in New Hampshire and Duke Cancer Institute in North Carolina.

RHBE focuses on raising funds by hosting long distance bike rides that go directly to supporting patients undergoing treatment.

“We’re always looking to let people know that these funds are out there when folks need them the most,” said RHBE founder and Cheltenham resident, John Matthews. “We pay for needs like transportation to appointments, groceries, utility bills or even rent.”

According to the American Lung Association’s annual “State of Lung Cancer” study, PA’s rate of newly diagnosed lung cancer cases is 60 per 100,000, which is higher than the national rate of 54.6 per 100,000. Lung Cancer is the leading cause of more deaths than prostate, breast, and colon cancers combined.

“Early detection is key with this disease,” said Matthews, who lost his mother to lung cancer.

Matthews started RHBE in her honor, with a goal to raising one million dollars for lung cancer in his lifetime.

The nonprofit annually hosts an online peloton ride in April with riders from around the country, a golf outing in June, and a 425-mile bike ride in September.

About Ride Hard Breathe Easy

Ride Hard Breathe Easy (RHBE) was founded by John Matthews after the death of his mother to lung cancer in 2011. The idea began in 2017 as a cross-country bike ride to raise money and awareness and two years later RHBE became a nonprofit organization that has helped hundreds of patients and caregivers dealing with the financial stress of a lung cancer diagnosis. RHBE partners with Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Lung Center, Duke Cancer Institute, Crozer Health, Jefferson Health, Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center, and Dartmouth Cancer Center to support their lung cancer patients. 

For more information about RHBE, you can visit their website.

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