UCI Anti-Cancer Challenge
The 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.
Thank you for celebrating a decade in the fight against cancer!
Please share your feedback and insights to help grow this movement in a quick 5-minute survey.
Stay tuned! In 2027, you'll hear the announcement of pilot projects and clinical trials made possible thanks to the funds you raise this incredible milestone year.
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Your event day photos are now available! Click the albums below to check out your favorite moments and share them on social media.
Official Event Day Photography (By Carlos Puma)
Photo Booth Fun Gallery (By HBD Entertainment)
Volunteer Photographers Spotlight
Participant and Community Shared Gallery
Now is your chance to keep the fundraising momentum going and inspire others to join you in the fight against cancer.
Tag @anticancerchallenge and use #anticancerchallenge to help spread the word.
Got great photos from event day? We’d love to see them! Show us how you celebrated 10 years of fighting cancer:
Direct Message us your favorite shots on Instagram/Facebook at @anticancerchallenge OR email your photos to anti-cancerchallenge@uci.edu.
Reminder! Fundraising closes on Saturday, Oct. 31.
Let your friends and family know that there is still time to continue supporting innovative cancer research. Every participant-raised dollar directly funds pilot projects and early phase clinical trials at the UCI Health Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and its pediatric cancer affiliate, Rady Children's Health.
Thank you for your dedication and commitment to this important cause!
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.
2026 Patient Honoree
Kimberly Thorp’s daughter was 2 years old when Kimberly was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. Today, she is 6. For Kimberly, those four years represent far more than a measure of survival. They are birthdays, school milestones, family trips and ordinary days together — time made possible by cancer research, targeted therapy and a physician who refused to stop looking for the best path forward.
That experience is why Kimberly and her husband, Dan, have supported the UC Irvine Anti-Cancer Challenge for four years. For two of those years, their philanthropy has fully funded research led by Kimberly’s oncologist, Dr. Misako Nagasaka. Their goal now is to help create for other families the possibilities that research created for theirs.
“UCI has given so much to us that we want to pay it forward and give others hope,” Dan says. “UCI is committed to beating cancer, not just treating it. They are in it to win it.”
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