The Strides for Life Colon Cancer Foundation is the outcome of the death of Dylan Cappel. Dylan died of colon cancer at the age of 23 while training for a berth on the 2004 United States Olympic Rowing Team. Dylan graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2000 and at the time of his death was the assistant men’s varsity rowing coach at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The organization is dedicated to his memory and committed to decreasing the amount of pain and suffering this hideous disease wreaks on society.  

Happiness is not so much in having as sharing. We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.  -Norman Macewan  Dylan L. Cappel  1978 - 2002

Strides for Life is a non-profit organization founded in 2004. Our mission is the prevention and early detection of colon cancer. The mission is accomplished through a variety of educational programs directed at increasing awareness of colon cancer among both healthcare providers and the general population. Included are programs of public education, wide scale screening efforts and risk-reduction strategies directed toward populations at high risk.

The Strides for Life organization is funded entirely through contributions from individuals, corporations, and hopefully, grants from public and private agencies. It is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of people with a variety of experiences and expertise. There are no salaried employees and all efforts and resources are volunteered. 

Our goal this year is to raise $250,000, which will be used for programs in and around the San Francisco Bay Area that work toward eliminating this disease. We hope this program becomes a model throughout the country and around the world. Only through continuous dedication and devoted effort are we going to rid the world of this disease.