The International Myeloma Foundation
Launches the Iceland Cycling Expedition: A Fundraiser to
Advance the Goals of the iStopMM Project and the IMF’s
Robust Array of Research Initiatives
The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) is
excited to announce the launch of the Iceland Cycling
Expedition (ICE)—a 3-day, 2-night fundraiser biking tour set
to take place from August 29 - September 4, 2024, in
Reykjavik and around Iceland to kick off Blood Cancer
Awareness Month, which happens every September.
The ICE biking tour is an inaugural signature
IMF Myeloma Cures fundraiser, with the goal of highlighting
IMF’S diverse and robust research portfolio.
ICE will include a team of approximately
twelve participants who will be individually raising funds
for the IMF'S vast Research portfolio. These IMF cyclists
will embark on an unforgettable journey of adventure and
purpose, as they take part in this exclusive bike tour of
the breathtaking landscapes of Iceland while doing it to
find a cure for myeloma.
This sensational event will begin in
Reykjavik with a tour of the deCODE genetics building, where
the iStopMM (Iceland Screens, Treats, Or Prevents Multiple
Myeloma) Research Project is currently based. The iStopMM
Research Project is a first-of-its-kind, population-based
screening study for monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined
significance (MGUS).
iStopMM Principal Investigator Dr. Sigurdur
Y. Kristinsson (University of Iceland—Reykjavik, Iceland)
will be leading the tour, and participants will have the
opportunity to explore the iStopMM Project laboratories as
well as the unique deCODE DNA Biobank.
The tour will also feature talks and
presentations around the IMF’s groundbreaking cure trials
including ongoing efforts and progress being made by the
iStopMM team.
The expedition will conclude with an intimate
dinner with Dr. Kristinsson and the iStopMM Research Team at
the Blue Lagoon in Grindavík.
"I am thrilled to be hosting the tour and
intimate dinner for the IMF Iceland Cycling Expedition this
year in my home country. On behalf of the iStopMM team, I
would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to the IMF for
organizing the ICE event and for giving the iStopMM team the
opportunity to feature our ongoing efforts and progress in
myeloma research. This inaugural signature IMF Myeloma Cures
fundraiser is definitely groundbreaking, and I look forward
to having it every year in Iceland," said Dr. Kristinsson.
IMF Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Brian G.M.
Durie is elated that the Iceland Cycling Expedition will be
inaugurated in Iceland—the home of the iStopMM Research
Project. “It is only fitting that this signature IMF Myeloma
Cures fundraiser will be first held in the breathtaking
scenery of Iceland. I am just as equally excited about the
expedition as the participants and the wonderful IMF staff
who tirelessly worked to make this event possible.”
“As much as the ICE event is groundbreaking,
the iStopMM Project’s research work is also trailblazing in
its efforts to screen and identify individuals with
asymptomatic MGUS or smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM).
Knowledge of the underlying DNA profile of all iStopMM
participants leads to powerful translational research
opportunities,” added Dr. Durie.
"The Iceland Cycling Expedition offers a
unique opportunity to join a determined team focused on
finding a cure for myeloma amid breathtaking landscapes.
With 28 years of living with myeloma, for me, the urgency is
real. Join the revolution against myeloma, whether cycling
with us or supporting from afar, and together, let's turn
Iceland's beauty into a symbol of a brighter, myeloma-free
future,” said IMF President & CEO Yelak Biru, who is also a
28-year myeloma survivor.
“The IMF couldn’t be more excited and eager
to launch this event and bring the myeloma community
together through a fun and adventurous bike tour all in
search of finding a cure for myeloma. We are in this
together!” said IMF’s Vice President of Development Sylvia
Dsouza.
ICE is not just a cycling expedition—it is
also an opportunity to make a lasting and meaningful impact
in the IMF’s fight against multiple myeloma, the second most
common blood cancer in the United States and the most common
blood cancer among African Americans.
You, too, can seize the opportunity to become
a part of this noble cause. For more information about the
IMF Iceland Cycling Expedition, contact Ilana Kenville, IMF
Director of Development, Peer to Peer Fundraising at ikenville@myeloma.org or
Sylvia Dsouza, IMF Vice President of Development at sdsouza@myeloma.org.
To apply for this exciting expedition or to
make donations, visit the IMF
Iceland Cycling Expedition fundraiser.
The International Myeloma Foundation is
grateful to Sanofi, a long-time and unwavering supporter of
the IMF, for sponsoring the inaugural Iceland Cycling
Expedition.
ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL MYELOMA
FOUNDATION
Founded in 1990, the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF)
is the first and largest global foundation focusing
specifically on multiple myeloma. The Foundation's reach
extends to more than 525,000 members in 140 countries
worldwide. The IMF is dedicated to improving the quality of
life of myeloma patients while working toward prevention and
a cure by focusing on four key areas: research, education,
support, and advocacy. The IMF has conducted more than 250
educational seminars worldwide, maintains a world-renowned
InfoLine, and in 2001, established the International Myeloma
Working Group (IMWG), a collaborative research initiative
focused on improving myeloma treatment options for patients.
In 2012, the IMF launched the Black Swan Research Initiative®,
a groundbreaking research project aimed at curing myeloma.
The IMF can be reached at (800) 452-CURE (2873). The global
website is www.myeloma.org.
ABOUT THE BLACK SWAN RESEARCH
INITIATIVE®
The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) has banded
together the world’s brightest minds in research, oncology,
and health studies to form the IMF’s Black Swan Research
Initiative® (BSRI) – a leading-edge project that
pits our scientists and leaders on the frontlines against
myeloma. The IMF’s BSRI was established in 2012, following a
scientific brainstorming meeting linked to the International
Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) Summit in Amsterdam. Together,
the IMF and BSRI’s mission is to find the first definitive
cure for myeloma and to help bridge the gap from long-term
remission to cure. Led by an international consortium of
myeloma experts, BSRI is bridging the gap from long-term
remission to cure by sharing collective data and tracking
myeloma through multiple, simultaneous drug trials and
therapies to determine which work best.
ABOUT THE ISTOPMM PROJECT
Launched in 2016, the iStopMM (Iceland Screens, Treats, or
Prevents Multiple Myeloma) Project is the first
population-based screening study for monoclonal gammopathy
of undetermined significance (MGUS), with Dr. Sigurdur Y.
Kristinsson of the University of Iceland as principal
investigator. The study also includes a randomized trial of
follow-up strategies. The iStopMM Project is one of several
global research projects supported by the IMF Black Swan
Research Initiative® (BSRI) which is committed to finding a
cure for myeloma.
Follow the IMF on:
X: @IMFmyeloma
Instagram: @imfmyeloma
Facebook: @myeloma
LinkedIn: International
Myeloma Foundation
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