Tickets are on sale for the Napa Valley food, wine and cycling event benefiting cancer research at UC Davis
(SACRAMENTO)
Crush Challenge, the ultimate food, wine and cycling event in Napa Valley to benefit UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, is August 26. Last year’s event raised more than $100,000 to help advance the cancer center’s research into nontoxic treatment for lymphoma.
UC Davis Health CEO David Lubarsky talks to fellow cyclist Sherri Stone, CAO, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology at a past Crush Challenge
Hosted by the deLeuze Family Charitable Foundation and ZD Wines, the day starts at about 9:00 a.m. with a cycling event that offers a choice of three (17-, 25-, or 37-mile) routes. Register now for the ride through the picturesque wine country.
Don’t want to ride, but still want to enjoy food and wine? Purchase tickets online for the morning Winemaker Barrel Tasting presented by the Clarke Family Foundation and ZD Wines. It will be immediately followed by the Food & Wine Garden in North Yountville Park.
The story behind the special fundraiser
Norman deLeuze, founder of ZD Wines, was the inspiration for Crush Challenge. Diagnosed with an aggressive cancer, the iconic Napa winemaker sought treatments beyond traditional radiation and chemotherapy with UC Davis oncologist Joseph Tuscano, who specializes in cancers of the blood.
As ZD Wines President Brett deLeuze explains, “My father, Norman, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. After the diagnosis, he went in search of nontoxic treatments. Along his journey, he met Dr. Tuscano. The relationship resulted in the establishment of the UC Davis deLeuze Family Endowed Professorship focused on researching nontoxic cures for cancer. Today, Crush Challenge continues to support that research and UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center.”
Tuscano, who researches alternatives to treating lymphoma, discovered a naturopathic remedy that shrank deLeuze’s tumor and extended his life. Although deLeuze eventually died from his cancer, ZD Wines and the deLeuze family continue Norman’s legacy through the establishment of the deLeuze Family Endowed Professorship and the annual Crush Challenge.
Tuscano cycles with the UC Davis team. He’s grateful for the growing interest in the Crush Challenge, which raises not only funding but also awareness regarding the critical importance of cancer research.
“I see the faces of the victims of lymphoma and other blood cancers daily. But I also carry with me the kindness of those whose faces I will never see and yet they support us in this challenge to ‘crush cancer,’ and I’m grateful because we cannot do it alone,” Tuscano said.
UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center
UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute-designated center serving the Central Valley and inland Northern California, a region of more than 6 million people. Its specialists provide compassionate, comprehensive care for more than 100,000 adults and children every year and access to more than 200 active clinical trials at any given time. Its innovative research program engages more than 240 scientists at UC Davis who work collaboratively to advance discovery of new tools to diagnose and treat cancer. Patients have access to leading-edge care, including immunotherapy and other targeted treatments. Its Office of Community Outreach and Engagement addresses disparities in cancer outcomes across diverse populations, and the cancer center provides comprehensive education and workforce development programs for the next generation of clinicians and scientists. For more information, visit cancer.ucdavis.edu.
