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Inside WEX
The 9th Annual Tri for a Cure 2016
As the Presenting Sponsor for the Maine Cancer Foundation’s Tri for a Cure, WEX is proud to demonstrate our support of this event and its participants as they swim, bike, and run to fight cancer in the state of Maine. On Sunday, July 17, more than 1,200 women and thousands of their supporters participated in this life-changing event, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Maine Cancer Foundation and its mission to end cancer in the state. More than $1.6 million dollars were raised – a new record!
Why Maine Tries Harder
What makes this event and donations —100% of which goes directly to the Maine Cancer Foundation — so important? Consider these facts (via Tri for a Cure News):
- Maine has the highest cancer rates in New England: 181 deaths per 100,000
- 1 in 4 people will receive a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime: There has been some progress: mortality rates have declined 13% since the year 2000. There’s still a long way to go, but we won’t quit
- Cancer is the #1 killer in Maine: An estimated 34% of all deaths in Maine are cancer-related
The Tri for a Cure turned 9 this year. This time, your compassionate support has:
- Raised almost $10 million to aid 85 different cancer initiatives
- Funded 280+ patient programs
- Supported 77 research grants
- Positively impacted the lives of many thousands of Maine citizens with cancer
To see how the Maine Cancer Foundation supports cancer research, including research distribution, research grants, and nonprofit reviews, see the Tri for a Cure Dashboard.
WEX Presenting Sponsor of Tri for a Cure
As a Presenting Sponsor, there is much more to our sponsorship than just the money. Not only have we provided monetary support since the event’s inception, but dozens of WEX employees have participated and volunteered countless hours at the event. In an interview with WMTW, our President and CEO, Melissa Smith, talked about her own experience as a participant and why sponsoring the Tri for a Cure is so important.
(On why WEX participates) “Simply because we care. We care a lot about the community, we care a lot about health and fitness, so it ties into some of the cultural values we have, but it also has amazing energy. We just love being part of it…It’s important since we’re a sponsor that I do it. You live it, you feel it, and it’s such a great thing to be out on the course. Women just talk to each other — it doesn’t feel competitive, it feels supportive. It’s special…Every time you do a training swim here, any time that you are on the race course, you really get this feeling of people pulling together and supporting one another,” said Smith, who participated in the Tri for her eighth time this year.
The Power of Teamwork
What makes this event unique is that from a small Maine community, people band together to create one of the largest single-day fundraisers in the state. Part of the proceeds from last year’s Tri for a Cure were used to attract a major cancer prevention and screening grant from Bristol-Meyers Squibb Foundation. A $400,000 commitment was turned into a $5.6 million dollar state-wide program. The commitment shown last Sunday – and on every race day over the past nine years – is commitment that will continue to save lives and impact Maine for generations yet to come.
See footage from the Tri for a Cure opening ceremonies here, and learn more about why sponsoring Tri for a Cure is critical to the Tri’s success and to WEX by watching the WMTW 8 News feature.