Cycle for Survival celebrated 20 years of impact and progress in 2026.
“20 Years Closer” is a milestone, multi-channel campaign that centers the community behind that progress.
Anchored by a video series, the campaign highlights the patients, survivors, caregivers, clinicians, and fundraisers who have driven the movement forward, raising more than $400 million for rare cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
“20 Years Closer” aims to deepen the connection for those who have been part of this movement, while opening the door for others to see themselves in it. At its core, the campaign is about what this community has made possible and the real progress in rare cancer research their efforts continue to drive.
To mark 20 years, the campaign needed to do more than look back. The strategy focused on telling a story that felt as collective and human as the Cycle for Survival community itself.
The campaign was anchored by a video series featuring real members of the community, including patients, survivors, caregivers, clinicians, and fundraisers. Each story was approached with minimal structure, allowing participants to speak in their own words about what Cycle for Survival has meant to them and why the work continues to matter.
Interviews were filmed on-site during Cycle for Survival rides in New York City over a two-day period, often immediately before or after participants took part in the event. This approach allowed the team to capture people in real time, grounded in the emotion of the day. The documentary style was intentional, creating space for moments that felt immediate and unfiltered rather than produced.
From these interviews, the team developed five longer-form videos, supported by a broader social series and a set of campaign ads. The videos served as the foundation for a multi-channel rollout across social and digital platforms, with content adapted into shorter formats to extend reach while maintaining the integrity of each story. The campaign was also integrated into the Cycle for Survival experience, with videos debuting at both live and virtual events to reach the community in real time.
One of the primary challenges was representing a community of this scale without reducing it to a single narrative. The approach focused on a range of voices and perspectives, reinforcing that there is no single Cycle for Survival story, only a shared commitment to progress.
By centering real people and capturing them at a meaningful moment, “20 Years Closer” reflects both the depth of the community and the urgency that continues to drive it forward.
Cycle for Survival surpassed its fundraising goal, raising more than $38 million in 2026. The milestone year also brought lifetime fundraising to more than $450 million raised for rare cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
