The Nick Teddy Foundation

The Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative is pleased to partner with the Nick Teddy Foundation to fund Ewing's sarcoma research in memory of Nicholas Theodore Strub. Nick died from complications of Ewing's sarcoma at the age of 29 in November 2011. His family and friends formed the Nick Teddy Foundation to celebrate his life and raise money to fight Ewing’s Sarcoma and other EFT cancers.

Ewing's sarcoma is a rare and aggressive form of cancer that often strikes children and young adults. The Nick Teddy Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Port Byron, Illinois.

The 2014 Nick Teddy 5k

September 13, 2014 in Port Byron, Illinois

The Nick Teddy Foundation is pleased to announce its third annual Nick Teddy 5K. The event starts at 9:00 AM on Sat., September 13, 2014, and offers a fun day for participants and their families.

Proceeds from the “Nick Teddy 5k” will benefit the Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative, which works to award sarcoma research grants to expert investigators around the world. Last year, the event registered more than 400 runners and raised $20,000 for Ewing's sarcoma research. It has raised a total of $37,000 for research in just two years.

The 2012 Nick Teddy 'Fight Against Sarcoma' 5k

September 15, 2012 in Port Byron, Illinois

September 15th was a beautiful day to honor the memory of Nicholas Theodore Strub at the 1st Annual Nick Teddy 'Fight Against Ewing’s Sarcoma' 5K in Port Byron, Illinois. The Nick Teddy Foundation and a local Port Byron running group called the Quad City Sole Sisters came together in this first annual event, which was a wonderful success!

There were many ways to get involved in the event, and Port Byron and the surrounding communities embraced them all. Houses along the race route showed their support by displaying blue balloons on their homes, fences, and trees. The water stops were manned with volunteers including two local bank sponsor groups and a local Boy Scout troop. One sponsor, First Wealth Financial Group, brought their family and friends in an RV from Clinton, Iowa. 

The event began with a distinguished march and display of the flags from the local color guard and was followed by the singing of the National Anthem. More than 450 people registered for the event. Supporters came out in the form of walkers, runners, strollers, and even a few dogs! Each race was a sea of blue Nick Teddy shirts as many individuals and families participated in the 1 Mile Fun Run, the Kids Dash, and the main event, the 5K race.  The community was there to cheer on the runners and to give Nick’s family and friends their support. A close family friend who was pushed in a wheelchair for the Family Run got up with great emotion to walk across the finish line for Nick. The kids enjoyed a high five from the Nick Teddy Bear as they ran the dash and each one received a medal for their amazing efforts. The male and female 5K winners were impressive as well with strong finishes.

Once the races had concluded it was time to celebrate! And the after party was just that, a celebration! It was held at It’s On The River, a beautiful spot right on the bank of the Mississippi. The community enjoyed some lunch and the music of the band, Mommy’s Little Monster, while taking in the grand view. Over 120 individuals and businesses gave money, goods, and services to help support the cause. There were over 75 overflowing baskets for the silent auction and raffle giveaways. And the most fun spot at the party was the Kid Zone. The kids enjoyed the bounce house, popcorn machine, cupcake walk and a variety of entertaining games with prizes. It was truly a family friendly event!

The Nick Teddy 5K was honored to have two Ewing’s Sarcoma survivors attend that day. It was so wonderful to see these individuals enjoying themselves and knowing the community was also there to support and celebrate them.

The Nick Teddy Foundation and the Quad City Sole Sisters thank the dozens of volunteers who made the 1st Annual Nick Teddy Fight Against Ewing’s Sarcoma 5K event a great success. The community efforts were genuinely amazing and inspiring. The event had support from Iowa, Nebraska, Florida, Tennessee, and even Australia and London. It was a demonstration of people coming together to make a difference and change lives. The event will be giving the proceeds with great pride to the Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative in honor of Nick Strub.

About the Initiative

The Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative works to award sarcoma research grants to expert investigators around the world. The Initiative maintains an extremely low overhead of 2-3% per year. Thus, 97-98% of the funds we receive go directly to support sarcoma research.