UCI Anti-Cancer Challenge
The UC Irvine Anti-Cancer Challenge is a community movement to raise awareness and funds for critical cancer research at the UCI Health Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and CHOC, part of Rady Children’s Health.
Every participant-raised dollar directly funds pilot studies and early phase clinical trials that aim to develop new insights into cancer prevention, treatment and cures — to save lives.
The UC Irvine Anti-Cancer Challenge is an activity of the University of California, Irvine Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tax ID 95-2540117.
In 2026, the UC Irvine Anti-Cancer Challenge celebrates its 10-year anniversary of fueling groundbreaking cancer research. Join us as we honor a decade of progress and power the next wave of discoveries through community fundraising.
Date:
Saturday, Oct. 10
Location:
UC Irvine campus
Activities:
• 5K Run/Walk • 14-, 35-, 60- and 100-Mile Ride • Mountain Bike Ride
When you ride, run or walk for the UC Irvine Anti-Cancer Challenge, you support the fight against cancer. On event day, enjoy a family friendly festival featuring food, live music and more!
Fundraising Commitments:
• Child/Student: $25
• Adult: $50
• Adult VIP: $500 (includes VIP Lounge access)
Your fundraising efforts translate into real progress! The projects funded by your donations are announced the following year, showcasing the direct impact of your support.
Making a Difference
The fight against cancer begins with fundamental research on its causes, detection, prevention and treatment at National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer centers like the UCI Health Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. Through a partnership with CHOC, part of Rady Children’s Health, a portion of proceeds are dedicated to pediatric cancer research.
Your support through the Anti-Cancer Challenge directly funds cancer-related projects, enabling UC Irvine physician-scientists to generate crucial preliminary data for high-impact research.
Event Day Activities
Q: Is this a timed event?
A: No, this is not a timed event or race. The UC Irvine Anti-Cancer Challenge is a community-dedicated fundraiser focused on raising funds and awareness for cancer research.
Registration and Fundraising Commitment
Q: What am I committing to when I register?
A: When you register, you are committing to participate in the event AND raise the fundraising amount listed for your category (Child/Student: $25, Adult: $50, Adult VIP: $500) by Oct. 31.
Donations vs. Registration
Q: Does making a donation mean I'm registered for the event?
A: No. Making a donation on the general donation page or a participant's fundraising page does not automatically register you for the event.
To participate, you must go through the registration process here.
Team vs. Individual Fundraising Pages
Q: What's the difference between team and individual fundraising pages?
A: Each participant has an individual fundraising page, and these individual totals contribute to the team's overall fundraising page.
We encourage all participants to fundraise using their individual fundraising pages.
Each participant's individual total automatically contributes to their team's overall fundraising goal. This approach allows for accurate tracking of individual fundraising commitments.
If you need a general link for broader sharing, you can use your team's fundraising page. Keep in mind that donations made directly to the team page won't count towards individual fundraising commitments.
Fundraising Deadline
Q: When do I need to complete my fundraising commitment?
A: All participants have until Oct. 31, 2026 to fulfill their fundraising commitment.
Family Fundraising
Q: How should families approach fundraising?
A: For families, we recommend donating to each family member's individual fundraising page to ensure all commitments are met and to prevent the system from flagging $0 raised on individual pages.
Meet 2025 Patient Honoree - Bransby Whitton
Bransby Whitton discovered a lump in his abdomen in late 2021 on a holiday trip. In early 2022, a biopsy revealed it was an especially aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. A friend connected him with UCI Health and within a few days, renowned lymphoma expert Dr. Lauren Pinter-Brown started him on the first of six rounds of primary chemotherapy.
“I feel so fortunate to have found UCI Health and Dr. Pinter-Brown, who gave me world-class care.”
