24 Hours of Booty

Meet Executive Director, Katy Ryan from 24 Hours of Booty, in Charlotte NC.

24 Foundation’s mission is to inspire and engage communities to make an immediate impact on the lives of those affected by cancer. For us, that means more than funding research and goes beyond finding a cure. To 24 Foundation, that means investing in services that untangle the maze of appointments, tests, and treatments after diagnosis, and funding programs to increase the quality of life for survivors decades into the future.

Founded in 2002 by one man riding a bike for 24 hours, 24 Foundation’s signature annual events now serve as celebrations of survivorship, the power of peer-to-peer fundraising, and the spirit that our participants live with every day. Event participants commit to cycling or walking as much or as little as they’d like within 24 hours. It isn’t a race. Miles don’t matter. It’s an experience, celebration, and triumph.

United by the common vision of cancer navigation and survivorship for all, 24 Foundation has raised more than $21 million to date to support our mission.

Katy is an avid athlete, passionate community advocate and fundraiser, in that order. A native of Alaska, she studied neuroscience and psychology at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. Following her first (and only) job in corporate America, Katy jumped feet-first into the non-profit sector where she’s worked in fundraising, partnerships and community relations for more than 18 years. Prior to joining 24 Foundation, Katy served as the Vice President of the Alexander Children’s Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Alexander Youth Network. In that role, Katy managed major gifts, special events, and donor stewardship. She was also responsible for oversight of the agency’s grant seeking efforts as well as their robust volunteer program, which engages more than 1,200 individuals and corporations each year.

Katy has also served as Senior Development Director at the YMCA of Greater Charlotte; Vice President of Partnerships and Development at Girls on the Run International; Director of Business and Alumni Relations at Wake Forest University and Associate Director of Development at UNC-Chapel Hill. She lives at Lake Twitty, NC, with her husband Steven and her three step-daughters, Amanda, Rebecca and Samantha.