On July 13, almost 4,000 individuals raced in the Prouty, a fundraiser for the Dartmouth Cancer Center. The event — which is the largest family-friendly fundraising event in New England — raised more than $8,141,000, which will go to research, clinical trials, patient food pantries and other patient services, according to the Prouty website.
The Prouty began in 1982 after four Dartmouth Cancer Center nurses biked 100 miles through the White Mountains in honor of their patient Audrey Prouty, according to the Prouty website. Today, the event has expanded to include ultimate biking, rowing, running, walking, golfing and virtual opportunities, all in several different distance options. In addition to volunteers from across New England, many students on campus participated in the events.
Many members of Greek houses at Dartmouth, for example, supported the race to fulfill their organization’s philanthropy requirements. Phi Delta Alpha fraternity philanthropy chair Robert Blank ’26 said he spearheaded the effort this year. He explained that Phi Delt organizes Greek participation in the Prouty to streamline the process.
“Phi Delt has been charged with organizing Greek participation for the past couple of years,” Blank said. “We found it very important to rally everyone together to participate in this event because, as a Greek organization, there’s a lot of power and people involved.”
As the lead Greek organizer, Blank organized meetings with the Prouty organizers and other Greek houses to get as many members out for the Prouty as possible. For Phi Delt members, Blank “made it a requirement to either participate or to volunteer.”
Participation in the races itself took on a variety of forms. While not a mandatory event for those in Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, many Kappa sisters participated in various activities, according to Kappa philanthropy chair Eloise Osman ’26. Some walked the 3K, some took on the 10k together and some tackled the signature 100-mile bike ride. Peyton Kanaly ’26, a member of Kappa, took on this gauntlet, despite the fact that her only previous biking experience was “just on a beach cruiser.”
“It was tough, but I did it with a friend who used an e-bike, which helped me out a ton because she could [bring] water and stuff for me,” Kanaly said. “I kind of loved it. Right after it, I was super proud of myself and I can’t believe that I did it.”
Like Kanaly, Sam Cooper ’26, a member of Theta Delta Chi fraternity, participated in the 100-mile bike ride without any prior training. He completed the race in eight hours on a rented mountain bike, he added.
“We actually did not train at all, so I had zero experience,” Cooper, who rode with fraternity brothers, said. “But it was kind of just a challenge we all wanted to do to do something for cancer.”
For Cooper, the fundraising process presented much of the work. He said he ultimately raised $1,400 as part of team TDX, which as a whole raised $8,142 for the Prouty.
“I just spread [fundraising requests] through social media to friends and family, who loved the idea of doing a race for cancer awareness and research,” he said.
In addition to participants, volunteers at aid stations also contributed to the Prouty’s important community role, according to Osman. She said volunteers from across New England offered their support as she biked, making her feel the spirit of the Upper Valley tradition.
“You really notice that all the people who are volunteering to cut up the watermelon and make the sandwiches … really care to be there and are just thankful for what you’re doing,” she said.
According to the Prouty website, Greek life-related teams raised a total of $25,237.
The Prouty was not the only athletic event this past Saturday, with the Dartmouth Outing Club Fifty underway. The choice between these two iconic events was no easy task for some participating in the Prouty, according to Kanaly.
“I was considering the Fifty,” Kanaly said. “The reason I didn’t try harder to do the Fifty was because I wanted to do the Prouty. And in my mind, the Fifty happens other terms, but the only time to do the Prouty is this summer.”
