Silver
2023 Best Employee Engagement Initiative
Coast 2 Coast 4 Cancer - Bristol Myers Squibb & the V Foundation for Cancer Research
One hundred twenty-six Bristol-Myers Squibb employees participated in the 2022 Coast 2 Coast 4 Cancer ride, a nearly 3,000-mile course from Cannon Beach, Oregon to Long Branch, New Jersey. The epic cycling event is broken up into nine segments, averaging 225 miles. Bristol Myers Squibb employees (mostly novice cyclists) commit to 5 months of extensive training in preparation for the ride, which raises money to fund cancer research through the V Foundation for Cancer Research.
OBJECTIVE
The effort sought to raise awareness of the C2C4C ride, help drive contributions to cancer research and bring to life BMS’s commitment to patients, the cancer community and advancing cancer research. The ride celebrated and built employee enthusiasm for all C2C4C rides worldwide, a pillar of BMS’s patient-centric culture.
METHOD
Employees applied for a spot in the ride, and those who were selected, as well as those who expressed interest in it, were encouraged to fundraise, knowing that 100 percent of rider-raised funds go directly to cancer research through the foundation. BMS riders raised $1,019,969 and received a $500,000 company match to bring the fundraising total to over $1.5 million.
RESULTS
Besides the money raised, the initiative impacts BMS’s mission and patient-centric culture by enabling employees to do more for patients beyond their day-to-day work. Employees have shared many meaningful stories of experiences on their rides. For example: one employee talked to students at a school about her experiences. One student’s grandparents had cancer, and a rider asked if she could write their names on her cycling jersey. “It’s more than a ride,” the event’s tagline, seems to be borne out for BMS’s employees.
CAMPAIGN GALLERY
