Welcome to
Wheels of Justice
The Wheels of Justice cycling team rides to raise money for children fighting cancer and blood diseases. We ride in the Annual Courage Classic, this year a 2-day ride through the Rocky Mountains hosted by Children’s Hospital Colorado. Founded in 2005, our team is made up from 250 riders at every age and skill level. Our youngest rider is usually a baby, pulled along by their parents, alongside their siblings. This ride is different, this cause is different, because this hospital is different.
We aimed to raise $750,000 in 2024 for the Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Our money goes to fund primary pediatric oncologic research as well as mental health and wellness care for families and patients dealing with a diagnosis of cancer or blood disorders.
As of 2024, we have raised over $6.9 Million!! Come ride with us!
Courage Classic Bike Ride July 19-20, 2025
2024 William Maniatis
Will was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) on December 18, 2018 after experiencing a handful of weeks of “just not feeling right”. He had just turned 14 and, prior to diagnosis, was a very healthy, vital and strong kid and no history of cancer in our family.
The sub-type of Will’s leukemia put him immediately into the “high-risk” category (he also had central nervous system involvement which caused damage to his pituitary and an additional diagnosis of diabetes insipidus). The first two highly-aggressive rounds of chemotherapy had very little impact on his disease burden so we began the process of searching for clinical trials.
We learned Will would need a bone marrow transplant (BMT) to save his life and, fortunately, both big brothers were perfect matches. In the meantime, Will participated in a clinical trial that did have a considerable impact on the percentage of leukemic blasts in his bone marrow so he elected to repeat the same treatment regimen in hopes of achieving enough “remission” to move forward with a transplant.
It was a “Hail Mary” but, miraculously, the results of his bone marrow biopsy revealed he could proceed! The timeline for transplant was very aggressive but we knew it was his only hope for further treatment and big brother Stathi was waiting in the wings ready to donate his healthy marrow the very moment it was needed. We very much felt if Will could get through BMT then perhaps he could defy the odds and come through his diagnosis victorious. Read More
Read our latest Newsletters
I recently discussed with a long-time rider what to do if he has family in town that don’t ride. I quickly said that every year we have family with us who do not ride, Copper is a vacation destination! Something for Everyone: Whether you’re a seasoned cyclist or a weekend warrior, the Courage Classic has a route for you. Choose from challenging climbs like the Vail Pass route or a scenic family-friendly option. All routes are fully supported with rest stops, refreshments, and mechanical assistance.
Welcome to Wheels, Gabe! We are thrilled to welcome Gabe Cohen to the Wheels family! Gabe’s journey to joining Wheels is not just a personal one but also a powerful story many of us know all too well. Gabe joined Wheels last week, and just so happens to currently be in 3rd place for fundraising at over $17,000!!!!! Please join me in welcoming Gabe to our team, cause, and dysfunctional group of dedicated fundraisers and riders! Here is a little excerpt from Gabe’s participant center… “This is my 10th year riding in the Courage Classic to support Children’s Hospital. Since last year’s race, my young nephew Micah was diagnosed with a brain tumor. This has been very scary for our family, especially his parents, siblings, and grandparents. Micah and his family have shown incredible grit during treatments, and he is fortunately doing well. The passionate doctors and caretakers at Children’s have supported their journey with grace and expertise.”
Weekly Newsletter May 17th.. Finally a beautiful weekend forecast for us all, this newsletter is becoming more about the weather than the rides. A quick shoutout to Catie who suffered an unfortunate bike crash on Lookout Mountain a couple weeks ago. We hope you heal up quickly and know a few broken bones will not hold you back! We’re all thinking about you and hoping for a speedy recovery! To share a few choice words from Catie, “Wear your helmet, saved my life”
Happy Friday! What is the deal with this weather??? I know, I know, Spring in Colorado, but it’s so gloomy. I think maybe it’s natures way of reminding me that Mother’s Day is not an easy day for everyone. Absolutely, celebrating moms is wonderful, but it’s important to recognize that Mother’s Day can also bring up feelings of heartache for some people. To those who are missing their moms or their kids this week, my thoughts are with you.
Our Sponsors
We are so lucky to have our sponsors join us in the fight against cancer! Sponsorship levels range from Courage ($50,000), Summit ($25,000), Peak ($10,000), Elevation ($5,000), and Copper ($2,500). Sponsorship benefits range from dedicated Wheels of Justice Social Media Posts, Ads, Banners, Jerseys, and various other ways to ensure companies and organizations are recognized for their generous donation. Thank you for this year’s sponsors for continuing to provide resources for the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s Hospital Colorado!
Summit Sponsor
Peak Sponsor
Elevation Sponsor
Copper
