Riders conclude 475-mile bike ride for childhood cancer research in St. Charles

Cyclists in Cal’s Angels Pediatric Cancer Charity Bike Ride were greeted with confetti and cheers as they rode into downtown St. Charles just before 5 p.m. Oct. 10. The 24 participants pedaled nearly 100 miles a day for five days to raise funds and awareness for pediatric cancer research.

This year’s event was sponsored by Culver’s and local franchisee Jim DiVerde participated in the ride for the second time. DiVerde owns 13 Culver’s restaurants in the Chicago area and got more than 60 restaurants to participate in donating to the event this year.

“I love the camaraderie,” DiVerde said. “It’s an amazing group of people, both the Cal’s Angels people and the support team.”

The ride began at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago and traveled 475 miles around Lake Michigan, ending at Pollyanna Brewing Company in St. Charles, where a crowd of more than 100 people gathered on Illinois Avenue to greet the riders.

The annual event is organized by Cal’s Angels, a local nonprofit dedicated to children’s cancer research. The first ride was in 2019. It was put on by St. Charles business owners to honor Cal Sutter, a 12-year-old from South Elgin who was diagnosed with leukemia in 2005. He lost his battle with the disease in August 2006.

Last year, the ride raised more than $700,000.

Cal’s Angels funds clinical trials and other cancer research at prominent children’s hospitals, helps the families of children with cancer pay bills, raises awareness and grants wishes for children battling cancer.

Cal’s Angels co-founder and Cal’s father Tom Suttter said the organization raised more than $4 million last year. Sutter was at Pollyanna waiting for the riders and slightly frustrated that he was not able to participate in this year’s ride because of an injury he suffered during the ride in 2022.

John Rukel, chief operations officer of AJR Group, a St. Charles manufacturing plant, was at Pollyanna to support the event. He said he is always happy to donate to Cal’s Angels because he knows exactly how the money is being used.

“They’re local and they tell you exactly where your money is going,” Rukel said. “You don’t feel like it’s going into some big black hole. ... I know where my money is going and I feel like there’s a difference I’m making.”

DiVerde said he got involved with Cal’s Angels five years ago after reading about the first charity ride in the newspaper. He said he plans to continue sponsoring and hopes to make the event bigger every year.

“It struck me, talking about anything happening to kids and talking to kids with cancer,” DiVerde said. “It just grabs my heart thinking about what it does to young kids and families.”

DiVerde said while the ride wasn’t easy, it was nothing compared with what children with cancer go through. He said there were times it was really painful and emotional, but he was proud to be part of such an amazing group of people.

“I’m so out of gas. I have nothing left in the tank, but I’m so happy to be here,” DiVerde said. “You have to be kind of nuts to do this. You have to really care.”