They ride for 5-year-old Cora Beaver, who was diagnosed with the illness shortly after birth

When David Beaver and his 9-year-old daughter, Brenna, crossed the finish line of the Buffalo Bicycle Classic in September, they were met with the sounds of cowbells ringing and family members loudly cheering.

It was Brenna’s first time to do the 10-mile Little Buff ride, so it was special in that respect, but beyond that, every Buffalo Bicycle Classic ride for the past five years has felt especially rewarding for the Beaver family, which has spearheaded efforts to field a group of riders for to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Cora is the name of David and Brittany Beaver’s youngest daughter, age 5, who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis in 2019, just two weeks after her birth.

Cora (left) and Brittany Beaver (Photo: Beaver family)

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare inherited disorder that can cause severe damage to the lungs, digestive system and other organs. CF affects the cells that produce mucus, sweat and digestive juices, which are normally thin and slippery. However, in people with CF, a defective gene causes the secretions to become sticky and thick, plugging up tubes, ducts and passageways—especially in the lungs and pancreas.

In years past, many children born with CF did not survive into adulthood. And while there is no cure for the disease, lifespans for children today with CF have increased greatly, thanks to medical advances and disease management efforts,

Brittany Beaver says receiving Cora’s diagnosis was tough on her entire family.

“Our faith has gotten us through all the hard moments. Also, staying connected to our family and community and the CF Foundation has been instrumental in helping us through the ups and downs of the disease,” she says.

Raising money for a cure

Beaver says it was her father-in-law, Dave Beaver, who spearheaded Team Cora Force as a fundraiser, driven by a passion to raise money to find a cure for his granddaughter.

“In 2019, he rallied literally everyone he knew—and continues to do so—to ride for Cora. He sends emails, has meetings and sends out texts often to remind people and invite them,” she says.

In other parts of the country, the CF Foundation has its own organized rides to raise funds to find a cure for CF, but Beaver says the Rocky Mountain chapter discontinued its annual ride around the time of COVID. So, Dave Beaver organized a group of his friends to ride in the Buffalo Bicycle Classic, with donations riders raise benefiting the CF Foundation, she says.

“My mother-in-law (Doreen Beaver) actually worked at the university for 30-plus years, so we have strong roots at CU, and that’s why we wanted to do the ride there,” Beaver says. “Plus, it’s a great ride, we love the area, and because of the location it was easy for (the riders) to be able to attend.”

Cora Beaver on her scooter at the Buffalo Bicycle Classic (Photo: Beaver family)

Organizers of the Buffalo Bicycle Classic have allowed the CF Foundation to have a booth at the event every year, which Beaver says has been a great way raise awareness about CF, efforts to find a cure and Team Cora Force.

As for the riders on Team Cora Force, Beaver says they are easy to spot, thanks to their distinctive purple and gold bike jerseys with the words “Breathe In” on one side and “Breathe Out” on the other. She says riders participate in all levels of the Buff ride, from the 10-mile Little Buff to the 100-mile Front Range Century and everything in between.

Ridership on Team Cora Force has grown every year, currently averaging between 35 and 40 participants, according to Beaver.

“Our goal is always to raise about $40,000 a year with our team for the CF Foundation,” she says. “I don’t know what our exact number is for this year, because we leave it open where people can continue to donate after the ride, but we always raise quite a bit of money for the CF Foundation under Team Cora Force. All gifts are tax deductible, because it’s a nonprofit, and people donate whatever they feel comfortable giving.”

Beaver estimates Team Cora Force has generated about $200,000 since it first started its fundraising efforts. And while she acknowledges the goal is ambitious, she says she would love to see the group raise $1 million in total for the CF Foundation by the time Cora is ready to attend college.

“We love raising money for the CF Foundation, which is just a remarkable organization,” she says. “They do so much, not just to help find a cure, but they do much more for us families. With CF, it’s just a very difficult disease and it affects our everyday lives a lot, so we’re grateful for everything they do to help us. I don’t think that our experience as parents of a little one with CF would have gone as well as it has without the CF Foundation; they’ve been truly remarkable.”

Beaver says that, for their part, riders have remarked how satisfying it’s been for them to arrive at the finish line to find Cora and other Beaver family members congratulating them.

“It’s always really sweet, because Cora is often at the finish line with her little cowbells, cheering them on,” she says. “It’s not uncommon for riders to have a few tears in their eyes at the end, knowing they did this hard ride to raise money for the CF Foundation, and seeing Cora there to welcome them.”

Top image: David Beaver (left) and daughter Brenna at the Buffalo Bicycle Classic (Photo: Beaver family)

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Former arts and sciences dean endows new scholarship to help students in financial need

Like many American kids, Peter Spear started his cycling “career” by pedaling around his own neighborhood with friends. Decades later, he’s fused his love of cycling with his desire to help students, and the result is a new scholarship tied to the college’s annual cycling event, which supports high-achieving students in financial need.

As an adult, he mostly engaged in “casual road cycling” until 1996, when he left his job as professor and associate dean at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to become dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder.

“I really got into mountain biking when I moved to Boulder,” Spear says.

At the top of the page: The Elevations Credit Union Buffalo Bicycle Classic is an annual event that supports scholarships in the College of Arts and Sciences at CU Boulder. Above: Peter Spear, the former dean of the college, has endowed a new BBC scholarship.

He served as dean until 2001, when he returned to serve as provost at UW-Madison. But after he retired in 2010, he headed back to Boulder where, he says, “I got more seriously into road biking.”

A dozen years later, Spear rides 3,000 to 4,000 miles a year, typically racking up 75 to 100 miles on three weekly rides—two with a group, one solo. Sometimes he rides the flats, but often he’s tackling the kind of climbing you won’t find in Wisconsin (where the average elevation is just over 1,000 feet, with a high point of 1,900 feet, compared to 6,800 and 14,400-plus, respectively, in Colorado).

Sometimes the ride is chill enough, such as “fruit loops,” about a 40-mile route with its midpoint on Apple Valley Road in Lyons, north of Boulder. Other times it’s a crank up to Jamestown, Raymond or even Ward, at over 9,000 feet.

“It’s how I keep in shape,” Spear says. “I’m an old guy, 78!”

And every year since returning to Boulder, he’s ridden the Buffalo Bicycle Classic (BBC), which supports scholarships for Colorado students with high academic merit who demonstrate strong financial need.

The BBC has raised more than $4 million to support scholarships since its founding in 2003 supporting more than 425 students.

“I really like the BBC because it supports high-need, high-merit students in the college where I served as dean,” says Spear, who has contributed not just through his annual registration fees, but also his annual donations. 

In 2021, he decided to make a lasting difference through the creation of an endowed BBC scholarship to distribute support for a student annually in perpetuity.

“Last year my wife said, ‘You know, you make a donation every year significantly larger than the entrance fee. Why don’t you donate $25,000 to create an endowment and forever spin off $1,000 a year for a scholarship,” Spear says. “I thought, ‘Wow, that’s a terrific idea.’ Fortunately, we are in a position to do that.”

Seleny Banuelos of Denver received the first scholarship from the endowment in 2022.

The scholarship combines Spear’s passion for cycling and his philanthropic goal of helping students in financial need—and he’d like to see other dedicated BBC riders follow his example.

“I think a lot of people who ride every year make a contribution beyond the entrance fee, and if they are able, this is just a wonderful way to continue supporting students even after you are gone,” he says.

This year’s Buffalo Bicycle Classic, scheduled for Sept. 11, offers nine courses, ranging from the 14-mile Little Buff to the 100-mile, 4,000-foot Century and 59-mile Dirty Epic mountain-bike course. Learn more or sign up here.

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The Buffalo Bicycle Classic is a cycling fundraiser. Since 2003, more than $3 million in scholarships have been awarded to promising students in CU-Boulder’s College of Arts and Sciences.

The Buffalo Bicycle Classic is one of the largest sources of scholarship funds at CU Boulder.

Buff "Epic" riders enjoy a 13.5 mile stretch up Boulder Canyon in a dedicated lane. The west-bound lane of the canyon is closed to cars, allowing BBC riders a private lane on the climb.

The Buffalo Run 5k/10k stampedes through CU Boulder's beautiful campus.

Whether you choose to run, walk, or stroll the course, be sure to join up with your cycling buddies at the after party and enjoy a delicious lunch, cold beer, live music, prizes and more! All ages and abilities are welcome.

As with the Buffalo Bicycle Classic, proceeds from the Buffalo Run will directly support the BBC scholars.

Go to the BBC website to register:

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