Professor George Kannourakis and his team at the Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute know they have the support of a city behind them as they work to beat cancer.
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Over the past 16 years, the annual FECRI Ballarat Cycle Classic has grown with more participation and new events and larger sums of money raised.
Since it began, the Cycle Classic has raised more than $2.7 million and this weekend's event added more than $240,000 to the total.
About 1500 cyclists and walkers took part in mountain biking, road rides and and a walk around the lake.
FECRI scientist Dr Jason Kelly said seeing so many people come out to support the course was humbling.
"We realise the work we are doing is more than just a job . We are part of a bigger community and we all know someone who has been touch by cancer so to see the community get together and try and support us ... it's quite humbling."
"I'm very passionate about trying to find a piece of the bowel cancer puzzle. With so many people coming together on one day saying we want to help you succeed, it's fantastic and we feel part of a giant team."
Professor Kannourakis said every dollar raised went directly to cancer research, including helping to employ scientists.
"The focus of our research is to look at how we can use the immune system to attack cancer," he said. "We have this idea that cancers that are aggressive have a protein on the surface that allows immune cells not to see them.
"If we can find (that) protein we can treat aggressive cancers - brain tumours, breast cancer, bowel, prostate, leukemia we think are all the same."
"Even though we are doing work on all these different cancers, we focus on this concept."
He thanked the volunteers, sponsors and staff who work tirelessly each year to coordinate and organise the growing Cycle Classic event, and those who participate.
"Everyone can be part of it. It's a healthy way of giving something back to research that allows us to make these sort of inroads," he said.
Professor Kannourakis helped found FECRI after a wish from his teenage patient Fiona Elsey.
"Many years ago when she was dying of cancer, she said she had a vision that I made a huge discovery here in Ballarat and I had to set up a research institution here," he said.
Fiona's parents Gail and Greg Elsey continue to be involved in the institute and attended the Cycle Classic on Sunday.
"We are forever grateful for all the people who participate, the riders, walkers and the sponsors," Mrs Elsey said.
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"Fiona loved riding a bike. She would be thrilled and I'm sure she would love to be on her bike riding with everyone. I'm sure she's looking down with pride at our community and what they continue to do because without our community and the support of the people, the institution wouldn't exist."
Sadly, cancer has returned to the family with Mr Elsey recently diagnosed and about to start treatment.
"Fiona with her fear and her anxiety and her ups and downs she turned that in to positive energy to get right behind research because she realised that benefit from her own experience," Mrs Elsey said.
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