CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) — A Charleston man just completed a major journey in support of families with loved ones who are fighting cancer.
Most people would say that running a marathon is a major physical and mental challenge. Running 200 miles across the entire state of South Carolina is on another level.
Ryan Cass, a Charleston resident and Citadel alumnus, finished a 200-mile route from his hometown of Fort Mill all the way to the Citadel as part of his nonprofit Breaking Ribbons. He launched the organization in 2023 with one goal in mind: he wanted to do hard things for people who are fighting even harder battles.
The name comes from racing. Runners break tape at the finish line, but Cass says his purpose is to break cancer ribbons instead.
“This was more than just a run,” Cass says. “I really look at this as an opportunity to answer prayers for families that have a loved one battling cancer. So, as it got tough and [in] difficult moments, I was thinking about who we are serving and what their expression is going to be when they find out that we have blessed them with the donation.”
Cass says that deeper purpose is what keeps him going.
“I believe it is important that the things that we do in life have some sort of deeper purpose or meaning because when it does get hard, then you can tap into that,” he says.
He says the financial burden many families face during treatment is one of the biggest reasons he runs.
“It is a costly battle,” Cass says. “Anything that we can do to provide some relief, especially in the holiday season, is amazing.”
He hopes Breaking Ribbons will eventually grow to help even more people.
“I have a dream that at some point we are giving back hundreds of thousands of dollars, millions of dollars, and perhaps we can fund an entire patient’s journey to where they are healed and out of the hospital and back in the real world,” he says. “But for now it is step by step. We have gotten bigger and better over the years, and I believe 2026 will create an even bigger impact.”
Cass says the most emotional moments come when he and his team sit down with the families they support. He says the reactions stay with him long after the run ends.
“When we share what we did and then ultimately give them the funds, the emotions that they have, it is tough not to tear up and just become a crying river right there,” he says. “It means so much to them and that is what I was saying. This run, I believe, is the third-coolest thing.”
He says the miles are not the point. It is the impact.
“Sure, we ran 200 miles, that is awesome and a big feat,” he says. “But the number one thing is that we have created a positive impact in the life of somebody that is going through something infinitely harder than we just did. The second-coolest thing is that this will inspire at least one person to take on something challenging and meaningful to them.”
Breaking Ribbons has already raised more than $30,000 in two years to help families dealing with steep medical bills.
The physical toll of the run, Cass says, is nothing compared to what cancer patients endure.
“It was very challenging, but it is temporary,” he says. “I am walking around now, a little bit of pain a few days after, but you think about the families that have folks going through chemo and they are in stage four, various stages of cancer. They do not get to choose when their pain goes away.”
Cass’ motivation comes from three people he lost to cancer. His grandmother Anita, his best friend’s mother Julia and a close family friend named Noah, who died as a child. He says their memory pushes him forward when everything hurts.
“There is always that voice that is going to meet you and you never know when it is coming,” he says. “Sometimes it comes early, sometimes it comes in the middle, sometimes it is not till the very end. And you will question yourself, you will question your decisions. But when it got difficult, I would smile and look up.”
This year’s run came with brutal conditions. Cass and his team ran through freezing temperatures, heavy rain and isolated rural roads while resting wherever they could. He says the conditions made the journey even more meaningful.
“When we were out there, it was cold, pretty much raining the entire time,” Cass says. “But I would not want it any other way. I do not want this to be an easy experience with seventy degrees and sunny. I believe that is what made it even more special and meaningful, that there were those challenges.”
Looking back, he says the weather reflected the purpose behind the mission.
“When I am looking back, I am thinking how awesome it was that not only did we cover a long distance, the conditions were not ideal,” he says. “I believe that is also reflective of who we are serving. They are on the hardest journey of all of us right now. There are no rainbows and sunshine for them.”
Cass and his running buddies crossed the finish line at the Citadel, where his journey as a leader first began. He says he hopes this challenge inspires others to take one more step toward a difficult goal or toward helping someone else.
He already has his sights on the future. Cass says he wants to push beyond 200 miles next year and top his fundraising record. He is considering crossing state lines and says he does not know exactly where the route will go, but he is certain he is not done pushing the limits of what is possible.
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