Tiffany Chan ’17, Pharm.D., is taking to the roads this weekend to raise money to assist children dealing with pediatric brain tumors.
She, along with her boyfriend, will travel by motorcycle on Sunday, Sept. 24, as part of the Baltimore/Washington D.C. Ride for Kids, benefiting the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (PBTF). It’s the third time Chan has taken part. “I participated as an event volunteer in 2007, and then participated as a rider with my boyfriend in 2016. This year, I’ll also be a rider.” Although she rides a Kawasaki Ninja 250cc, she’ll do the Ride for Kids with her boyfriend on their Kawasaki KLR 650cc.
While her fundraising for the organization has been modest so far, she’s hoping to also raise awareness about PBTF on social media (Facebook, SnapChat) and by word of mouth. Chan did note that when she rode in 2016, the Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy community was extremely supportive. “My professors like Dr. Varadarajan, Dr. Klucken, and Dr. Green have been so encouraging! Dr. Klucken even went as far as to help donate and I’m so grateful. I also met many great classmates/friends during my time in pharmacy school who have also supported me in the past for these events. They are part of my SU Pharmily!”
Chan first learned about PBTF in high school, when her culinary arts teacher asked if students would be interested in participating. “I went as a volunteer to pack lunches for the riders and help to man the stops where the ride started and ended. What made me come back was that I remember these little kids going up on stage who were receiving treatment for their brain tumors, and they started talking about how their lives completely changed because of their illness and how thankful they were for everyone’s support,” Chan said. “And I think it’s when I started to be inspired to take interest in pediatric cancer as a pharmacist.”
And that interest has continued as she progresses in her career. “I am currently a PGY1 Pharmacy Resident at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland. I will be doing general training this year but, in December, I will be applying to PGY2 training programs to specialize in cancer, and I am very interested in pediatric oncology in particular. In fact, I’ll be doing a rotation in pediatric oncology in January at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, and I’m so excited.”
To assist the PBTF, Chan said people can contribute to the cause by supporting a rider/participant, becoming an event volunteer, share Ride for Kids events (which happen in many locations year-round and nation-wide), or by asking their employers to participate in matching gifts. You can also contribute online to Chan’s Ride for Kids effort.
