Lindenwood University is proud to partner with Pedal the Cause as the main stage sponsor during the organization’s annual Ride Weekend in St. Charles, September 19-20. Lindenwood alumnae Jules McCormick ’06 and Summer Steiniger ’25 are helping make the event possible near the campus where their professional lives began to take shape.
Pedal the Cause is a nonprofit organization that hosts an annual community bike ride to support research through the Siteman Cancer Center. The two Lindenwood alumnae play different roles in helping the organization strive for its vision of a world without cancer. McCormick serves as director of events and oversees the production and logistics of Pedal the Cause’s full events calendar. Steiniger is a development coordinator, helping to build community partnerships that strengthen the organization’s local footprint.
Across their work at Pedal the Cause, McCormick and Steiniger find the same sense of purpose in their daily work. McCormick and Steiniger come face-to-face with people whose lives have been changed by cancer “You can put numbers, stats, and metrics to it, but there’s such an energy and impact on people’s lives,” McCormick said. “It’s hard to describe but it’s incredible and just drives you to continue doing this work.”
McCormick recalled meeting a participant whose mother had recently completed cancer treatment after being too sick to attend Ride Weekend last year. This year, the family looks forward to attending together so her mother can ring the Living Proof Bell, signifying the completion of her cancer treatment. Moments like this, McCormick said, remind her of why their work matters.
For Steiniger, connecting with people is at the center of her work. She described Race Weekend as the best weekend of the year because she gets to meet people impacted by the organization. Since Pedal the Cause moved to St. Charles, Steiniger feels a direct connection to her experiences at Lindenwood. “Building a community, whether that be with friends, professors, or just on the home base that is the Lindenwood’s campus is full-circle when it comes to Pedal because at Pedal, we’ve built this beautiful community of survivors, thrivers, and family members,” Steiniger said. “Had I not been prepared to know what community was and what it was like in St. Charles, I wouldn’t have been prepared for Pedal.”
Lindenwood’s support as a Ride Weekend sponsor allows 100% of participant-raised donations to fund cancer research that can improve and save lives. McCormick and Steiniger are helping bring the University and Pedal the Cause together in support of this meaningful cause, in the city where they earned their degrees.
McCormick and Steiniger invite anyone connected with Lindenwood to get involved by volunteering and participating in Ride Weekend.