So often these days, people find themselves divided over a multitude of issues. Whether its gay marriage, gun control, police shootings, immigration, or the recent nuclear deal with Iran, Americans repeatedly butt heads with one another in every setting from barrooms to classrooms. But there is one thing that unites all of us, even though we would wish otherwise: cancer. This merciless disease is an equal opportunity killer. It attacks both genders as well as the young and old. Race, religion, ethnic background, and income level mean nothing to cancer – we are all fair game. Some grim statistics from the American Cancer Society underscore that fact. According to the Society, about 1.65 million new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year, and over 500,000 Americans will die from the disease.

On Saturday, August 8, I will be participating in Pelotonia 15, a long-distance bike ride designed to raise funds for cancer-fighting research. I will be riding 75 miles on a route through central Ohio, starting in Pickerington (near Columbus) and finishing in Gambier, the site of Kenyon College. Joining me will be nearly 8,000 other cyclists, some of whom will bike as far as 180 miles over a two-day period.

All Pelotonia riders have their reasons for participating in this journey; for me the reasons are personal. I lost my mother to pancreatic cancer in 2000 and my sister to breast cancer in 2011. Last year, three of my grandchildren lost both their grandmothers to cancer. Pelotonia offers me the opportunity to strike back at a disease that has brought pain and suffering to my family and millions of other families across the U.S and worldwide.

As of today, Pelotonia riders have raised over $8 million. This entire sum will go directly to cancer-fighting research at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. I’ve pledged to raise $1,800 toward that total. If you would like to help me reach that goal, please visit my Pelotonia profile. Go to pelotonia.org and click on Profiles. Type in my last name (Cormany) or my ID Number (CC0134) and click on Search. Once you arrive at my profile, click on Donate to My Ride. On the page that follows, you are asked for the donation amount, whether you wish your donation to be anonymous, and other information. Clicking Checkout will move you to the end of the process.

Any donation of any amount will be acknowledged and appreciated. Remember: we cannot negotiate with cancer or reason with it. We can only destroy it, just as it would destroy us.