The Tour of Hope: Cycling for children with cancer in Hesse!

The Tour of Hope: Cycling for children with cancer in Hesse!

When the “Tour of Hope” takes to the streets of Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate in August, many hearts will once again beat for a good cause. From August 7th to 10th, 2025, 150 participants will cycle through the region to collect donations for children with cancer and their families as well as for cancer research. The campaign now has a long tradition and is being held for the 42nd time. Over the decades, the tour has developed into one of the most important charity events in Germany tour-der-hoffnung.de reported.

The first stage takes the cyclists from the Gießen municipal utilities to the pediatric oncology department at the Gießen-Marburg University Hospital (UKGM) and thus represents a central contact point for supporting children with cancer. On Friday, August 8th, an 85-kilometer route will be covered through the Wetterau, with stops in Friedberg and Butzbach, before continuing on Saturday from Weiterstadt via Darmstadt and Bensheim to Ludwigshafen-Oggersheim. The entire route covers around 240 kilometers and attracts not only committed drivers but also many supporters.

A success story in numbers

Last year the tour raised an impressive 1.32 million euros in donations. These funds go directly to support 25 children's clinics and similar facilities in Germany. All costs of the tour are covered by sponsors, so 100% of donations go to the beneficiaries. A success story that is worth seeing: In over 40 years, the Tour of Hope has raised over 40 million euros. That is truly a sum that works!

The idea for the tour was brought to life in 1983 by Fritz Lampert and since then the participants have not left their bikes throughout the summer to collect donations for children and young people with cancer. This central mission is supported by numerous partners and sponsors. Around thirty companies from southern Hesse have contributed over 100,000 euros to this valuable work over the past nine years, according to the website Association for children with cancer and chronically ill children (VKKD) highlights.

Famous faces at the top

When the tour sets off, some prominent faces will also be on board. For 2025, the ski jumper Stephan Leyhe, the former national soccer player Markus Merk and the actors Yemisi Magdalena Ogunleye and Johann von Bülow have made themselves available as supporters. Your commitment not only brings attention, but also motivates many people to take part in the campaign.

In a country where a good cause is held in high esteem, the “Tour of Hope” has become an indispensable event. The anticipation for the upcoming tour is growing and we are sure that hearts and wallets will be opened wide this time too.