Ahead of its May cycling event, Amgen Inc. has launched the Breakaway Challenge initiative, a national social fitness program aimed at motivating people to be healthier in the face of heart disease and cancer. The latest initiative from the Thousand Oaks-based company joins Breakaway from Cancer and Breakaway from Heart Disease into one effort for Amgen Tour of California, set to take place May 12 to 18. From May 1 to June 12, initiative participants are urged to turn their walking, running or cycling miles into support for eight nonprofit organizations dedicated to cancer and heart disease research. Amgen will donate $1 for every Breakaway Challenge mile completed by initiative participants, up to $400,000. Nonprofit organizations to receive funds include: American Heart Association, FH Foundation, Prevent Cancer Foundation, Cancer Support Community, Patient Advocate Foundation, National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, Susan G. Komen and Multiple Myleoma Research Foundation. Strava, a social fitness app that tracks cycling and running activities, will serve as Amgen’s way of calculating miles; participants can download the app on their mobile devices. The Amgen Cycling Club is also joining initiative efforts by creating a fundraising platform through MobileCause, another mobile app.
