CCRF’s partner, Zebra Technologies, helped month-long cycling event Great Cycle Challenge engage thousands of cyclists and raise millions of dollars during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September.  

How it Started 

Zebra Technologies’ partnership with Great Cycle Challenge began with the passion of one employee, Bruce Henderson.  

Bruce, a Learning Advisor at Zebra Technologies, started riding in 2015 to get some exercise for a good cause. He’d taken up cycling to help with the recovery from a ruptured quadricep tendon when he found Great Cycle Challenge. He loved the supportive community of riders and that the challenge allowed participants to ride anywhere and at anytime, so he started talking about it with co-workers. Zebra has employees in 54 countries, meaning for many employees, most of their interaction with colleagues is virtual. Bruce saw Great Cycle Challenge as an opportunity to connect employees across continents through a cause everyone could get behind – getting some exercise and helping kids fight cancer.  

“I like that it’s for a cause everyone can get behind – almost everyone knows someone who has had cancer and has seen how hard that is to go through. To know kids are going through that is heartbreaking,” Bruce said. “This disease can touch anyone. I try to dedicate my ride to a kid fighting cancer every year.” 

Becoming a Partner 

Great Cycle Challenge got more and more popular within Zebra, and in 2018, Zebra not only had one of the biggest teams, but also committed to becoming a corporate partner of the event. Employees spread awareness in the office by posting fliers and even encouraging employees to use the stationary bicycles in the office gym to participate in the challenge.  

Todd Naughton, Vice President of Global Business Services and an avid cyclist himself, rode nearly 400 miles in 2021 – he teamed up with Bruce to spread the word about Great Cycle Challenge within Zebra, creating a corporate team. 

“Great Cycle Challenge was the perfect combination of engagement between team members and corporate philanthropy,” Todd said. “It allowed us all to have a positive connection point, and our clients loved to see that we were able to do something for kids fighting cancer, even during a pandemic. We have team members and clients whose lives have been touched by cancer and this has been a special way to support them. It's been a fantastic experience.” 

To date, the Zebra team of 453 riders has raised $190,579 over five years. 

About Zebra Technologies 

Zebra empowers the front line in retail/ecommerce, manufacturing, transportation and logistics, healthcare, public sector and other industries to achieve a performance edge. With more than 10,000 partners across 100 countries, Zebra delivers industry-tailored, end-to-end solutions to enable every asset and worker to be visible, connected and fully optimized.