Cycle for Survival celebrated 20 years of impact in 2026.
20 Years Closer is a milestone, multi-channel campaign that honors the people behind two decades of breakthroughs in rare cancer research.
Anchored by a video series, the campaign highlights the patients, survivors, caregivers, clinicians, and fundraisers whose dedication has fueled the movement, helping to raise more than $400 million for rare cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
20 Years Closer aims to deepen engagement among longtime supporters while inviting new audiences to see themselves in the mission. At its core, the campaign celebrates what this movement has made possible and the advancements in rare cancer research that continue because of it.
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 movement itself.
The campaign was anchored by a video series featuring patients, survivors, caregivers, clinicians, and fundraisers. Each interview was approached with minimal structure, allowing participants to speak in their own words about what Cycle for Survival has meant to them and why its mission 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 enabled the team to capture authentic reflections in the moment, grounded in the emotion of the day. The documentary style was intentional, creating space for conversations that felt immediate and unfiltered rather than heavily produced.
From these interviews, the team developed five long-form videos, supported by a broader social content series and campaign advertising. The videos served as the foundation of a multi-channel rollout across digital and social platforms, with shorter adaptations extending reach while preserving the integrity of each narrative. The campaign was also integrated into the Cycle for Survival experience, with videos debuting at both live and virtual events to engage participants in real time.
One of the primary challenges was representing a movement of this scale without reducing it to a single perspective. The approach emphasized a range of voices and experiences, reinforcing that there is no singular Cycle for Survival story, only a shared commitment to advancing rare cancer research.
By capturing participants at a meaningful moment in the organization's history, 20 Years Closer reflects both the strength of the movement and the urgency that continues to inspire action.
Cycle for Survival surpassed its fundraising goal, raising more than $38 million in 2026. The milestone year also pushed lifetime fundraising beyond $450 million for rare cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
