The Castaways are coming home again.
As this paper rolls off the printer, a flotilla of kayaks, a peloton of cyclists and pack of runners are making their way from Miami to their final landing in Key West. The goal? Stack $400,000 to support the University of Miami’s Sylvester Comprehensive Care Center in its fight against the globe’s most hated disease.
They’re already about 95% of the way there.
The 27th annual trip for the nonprofit Castaways Against Cancer marks the fifth and final year of a $1.5 million pledge to Sylvester, matched by the center. But after this tour is over, they’re upping the ante. The Castaways have raised $3.5 million so far, to go along with 4,160 miles paddled, 850 miles cycled and 490 miles run – and in March, they doubled down on their partnership, announcing a new $2.25 million pledge.
The 2027 trip is dubbed the “Ring the Bell Tour: Honoring the Red, White and the Bruise,” pairing a nod to America’s 250th anniversary with the triumphant ring of a bell when a cancer patient completes a round of treatment.
“(The bell) is the sound of victory – the moment a patient signals their own hard-fought freedom from treatment,” said Castaways media liaison Jackie Suarez. “The 2026 ‘Ring the Bell Tour’ will honor this dual legacy of liberty.”
Funded projects include research into how certain types of breast cancer spread to the brain, building less invasive methods to actively monitor prostate cancer and digital programs designed to raise awareness of alcohol-related breast cancer risks, among others.
Beginning from a beach in Virginia Key in Miami (recently renamed Castaways Against Cancer Beach in the group’s honor), a group of 13 paddlers took off on June 6. Eight runners departed from the island on June 10 to begin their land-based trek, and a dozen cyclists will make the same trip starting Friday, June 12. New for this year is a Thursday poker run, adding 20 boats driving from Key Largo to Key West in support of the Castaways (with bar stops, of course).
It all ends at Simonton Beach in Key West around 4 or 5 p.m. with a heroes’ welcome for all who made the trip. The public is invited to welcome the team at the beach and celebrate the culmination of a gritty journey. Paddlers are estimated to arrive at 4 p.m., with runners at 4:15 and cyclists at 4:30.
“A huge shout out to Hyatt Centric Key West, Papa’s Pilar and all the establishments that support us down in Key West,” said Suarez. “They are amazing to work with.”
