A journey of compassion for those impacted by cancer
George and Megan Shinn are not only dedicated to each other but also to a cause that has deeply touched their hearts—supporting cancer research at Cleveland Clinic.
The Shinn’s connection to Cleveland Clinic began when Megan’s father underwent an aortic valve replacement at Cleveland Clinic Martin Health in their hometown of Stuart, Florida. The lifesaving procedure and experience left a lasting impression. “We were so impressed with Cleveland Clinic and the doctors,” Megan recalls.
When the Shinns learned about the innovative work and expertise at Cleveland Clinic, especially after visiting the Children’s cancer center at Cleveland Clinic’s main campus, they were moved. “Our hearts just went out to those families with children who have cancer,” says Megan. “The doctors were so loving and had their full hearts into it. How could you not be touched?”
Their visit factored into their decision to support cancer research at Cleveland Clinic. To encourage others to give and make their contribution go even further, George and Megan recently created a gift-matching opportunity to support donations to VeloSano, Cleveland Clinic’s year-round cancer research fundraising initiative. To their delight, their donation was matched within just hours. When the match day was over, more than 2,000 donations raised a total of $310,000 towards Cleveland Clinic’s cancer research initiatives.
George, a businessman and former owner of the Charlotte Hornets NBA basketball team, has owned several different sports franchises over the years —basketball, baseball and football—but it was cycling that brought him and his wife, Megan together.
“When George and I met years ago, George had already been an avid cyclist. He used to be a runner and he hurt his feet running, so the next best thing for him was cycling,” says Megan. “On one of our first dates, he said to me, ‘Hey, we’re going to go on a 20-mile bike ride.’ And I said, ‘What? What happened to lunch?’”
Cycling, now a shared passion for Megan and George, has become a meaningful way for them to contribute to charitable causes. In September, they will be making to trip to Cleveland to ride 25 miles and fundraise for Bike to Cure, VeloSano’s annual flagship fundraising event. Megan is riding in honor of a dear friend battling cancer and hopes her friend will be well enough to attend the event. George is riding in honor of his dear friend, Olympic figure skater and philanthropist, Scott Hamilton, who has battled cancer. “Cycling together is so nice, and especially because we can ride to raise money for cancer. Coming together as a community of people who have the same passion and having that ride, it doesn’t get better than that,” says Megan.
The Shinn’s’ commitment to cancer research extends beyond financial contributions; it is deeply personal. George survived prostate cancer, and Megan’s mother, grandmothers, and aunt battled breast cancer. Megan credits her mother’s survival of inflammatory breast cancer in her 70s, to advanced medical care and research. For them, their philanthropy is about inspiring others to give. “It has to come from your heart. Once it comes from your heart and it’s true, you can become an inspiration to others,” says Megan.
George says their contributions to Cleveland Clinic and other organizations reflect their strong belief in the importance of giving back. “We’ve been blessed, and part of that blessing comes with the responsibility to give back. And that’s what we do as Christians. God blesses us, not just with health, but with all kinds of things and we give back to him by giving back to his people.”
Learn more about VeloSano here and make a gift: https://velosano.org/donate
100% For The Cure
