The Jacobs Family

The first time Sammy Jacobs attended VeloSano Bike to Cure, he was 1 month old. He wore a VeloSano onesie to the kickoff party. Sammy, who turned 9 this year, and his 7-year-old brother, Eli, have grown up with VeloSano.

“It’s something they look forward to, like Halloween or Hanukkah or snow,” says their mother, Morgan Jacobs. “Giving back isn’t something we do once a year. It’s woven into our everyday lives.”

That spirit began before the boys were born. Team Spin for Stu launched in 2014, the first year of Bike to Cure, the flagship event of Cleveland Clinic’s VeloSano movement to raise funds for cancer research. There were five riders on the team back then: Morgan; her siblings, Ryan and Brittany; her best friend Amanda; and Michael Jacobs, who would become her husband.

They rode for Stuart Schreiber, father of Morgan, Ryan and Brittany. His home, his table and his heart were always open to anyone in need before he lost his battle with pancreatic cancer.

For Michael, the ride carried a deep personal meaning as well. He lost both of his parents to cancer. Both were treated at Cleveland Clinic, and their gratitude inspired them to establish a philanthropic fund there. “Giving back wasn’t just something my parents did,” Michael says. “It became part of the fabric of the family we wanted to build together.” 
To support VeloSano, the boys have run lemonade stands. One year they made $1,000, with every dollar going to cancer research (although they lobbied hard for Pokémon cards). What they’re learning, their parents hope, is tikkun olam: the responsibility to repair the world.

Over the years, Team Spin for Stu has grown exponentially, with more and more family and friends joining. They’ve raised more than $1 million, the first noncorporate VeloSano team to do so.

“Family isn’t just blood relatives,” Morgan says. “Family is the people who show up for you — and you show up for them.”