Participants in last year’s Pelotonia bike through Columbus. Credit: Shelby Lum / Photo editor

Participants in 2013’s Pelotonia bike through Columbus.
Credit: Lantern file photo

Ohio State’s annual grassroots fundraising bike ride known as Pelotonia raised a record-breaking $21 million this year.

The check was presented to Dr. Michael Caligiuri, CEO of the James Cancer Hospital at a party Thursday night.

The money will go entirely to cancer research.

“We are grateful to all of our funding partners, riders, virtual riders and volunteers that helped make 2014 such a huge success,” Pelotonia spokeswoman Jillian Blaine said in a Friday email.

As of Thursday, the event — which began in 2008 — has raised nearly $82 million.

This year’s ride took place Aug. 8-10 and included a record 7,270 riders, according to Pelotonia’s website. Last year, approximately 6,723 riders registered.

Pelotonia began after Caligiuri and cancer survivor Tom Lennox rode nearly 200 miles together in the summer of 2008 for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Pelotonia’s website said. Later that fall, Lennox, with the support of Caligiuri, began Pelotonia.