LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- This year, the Norton Cancer Institute is hoping bikers will raise more than $6 million for Kentuckiana's fight against cancer.

On Sept. 9, hundreds of bikers will line up to participate in one of their major fundraisers, the Bike to Beat Cancer event outside the Norton Cancer Institute off Brownsboro Road.

The starting is in front of the same building many undergo cancer treatments, or support a loved ones going through them.

For Chris Crews and his family, Bike to Beat Cancer isn't just a race. It's like a holiday.

"When this year's event ends, I'll register that day for next year's event," said Crews.

He said his reason for riding is personal.

"I was diagnosed in 2010 with lymphoma," Crews said. "That was a diagnosis that really changed things for me. That was a difficult time. The treatment was difficult."

For the next five years, he underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatment. That treatment worked.

"I was really fortunate to have, not only a very treatable form of cancer, but also to have a great support system," said Crews.

His mother, Alberta supported him through every step in his cancer treatment. But as Chris' cancer subsided, the disease wasn't done with his family. In 2017, his mother was diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

"That was a time when, you know, she would contact me we would go back and forth. You know 'What, what can I expect, and what's this going to be like?' And, you know, that connection at that point was really strong," said Crews.

The two bonded over their shared trauma and swapped stories of constantly feeling sick, appointments and treatment plans. Chris answered every phone call, but within the year, Chris lost his biggest fan.

"My mom and I were really close. So you know, for me, that was -- it was difficult when she passed," he said. "We -- it really became -- the bike really became a way for me to kind of have an outlet for that. I hope that she would be proud of that. You know, I hope that she would, she would understand that. This all started with me sort of taking a look at my health and an attempt to be healthier."

Chris now wears a picture of his mother -- his hero -- close to his chest while riding for a team named in her honor. 

He said she worked in retail for 28 years.

"She retired from a retail job where her clock number was 182, and so we call our team Team 182 because of that," said Crews.

For Chris, this ride is more than just raising money to beat cancer, it's a way to heal.

"For me, it's been therapeutic," said Crews. "It's a way to have a physical challenge and to have, you know, an avenue to release some of that grief."

Crews and his team are biking 35 miles for the Bike to Beat Cancer event. Participants can sign up to ride 5 miles or sign up for rides as long as 100 miles.

All of the rider funds stay local to directly support patient care here in he Louisville area.

"All the dollars stay here locally to support the Norton Cancer Institute, and that ranges from southern Indiana to Kentucky," said Anne Cannon, a representative of the Norton Healthcare Foundation. "And know that you're able to help a loved one get the care they need, or get a mammogram -- all of the things they need, and preventative and care for cancer. All the dollars there to support that."

The Survivor's parade starts at 8 a.m. just before the race.

To sign up for the Bike to Beat Cancer, click here.  

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