High schooler organizes bike relay for cancer prevention

To fundraise for Silent Spring and other cancer organizations, 16-year-old Deren Miller is leading bikers 1700-plus miles up the Eastern Seaboard.

When Deren Miller told his parents he planned to bike from Miami to New York by himself, they didn’t panic. After all, the high school junior is a formidable cyclist—he’s already completed 90 percent of his goal to bike every street in the New Jersey county where he lives.

But the Millers did ask their son to approach this new idea differently. “We told him, ‘If you can find a way to inspire others with this,’” says Deren’s father, Greg, “‘we’d be more inclined to support you in doing something that's really kind of crazy for a 16-year-old to do.’”

So Deren came back with a new proposal: He would organize cyclists up and down the East Coast to ride with him and raise money for cancer research. His parents were immediately on board.

This summer, Deren is leading the inaugural Chains United Relay Event for cancer prevention, with proceeds going to three organizations he personally selected. One of them is Silent Spring, which he chose for its unique focus on environmental risk factors for cancer.

“We’re so grateful that this young leader has chosen to support us with this ambitious project,” says Dr. Mary Beth Terry, executive director of Silent Spring. “We hope that his example will inspire many others to get involved and learn more about reducing cancer risk.” 

For Deren and his family, the issue of cancer prevention is personal. Deren’s grandmother, Meryl Miller, died from breast cancer when he was 12. One of the first women to be recruited by IBM in 1966, Meryl was a computer programmer who later embarked on a second career as a certified massage therapist. She was also an avid biker who mapped and rode routes throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania. 

“My grandma was the biggest contributor to my love of biking,” Deren says. “She's the one who got me my first bike and taught me to ride.” 

Building a chain of support

Perhaps it’s not surprising, then, that Deren’s relay has quickly become a family project. While he is the only one riding the entire route—which includes 61 segments spanning more than 1700 miles—his father, Greg, and his brother, Aren, are riding with him for parts of the journey. Aren will also be sharing the story along the way through photography and social media updates. Meanwhile, Deren’s mother, Zeynep, has been reaching out to bike shops and cycling groups to help spread the word. She’ll be driving a support van, carrying supplies and cheering the riders on every mile of the way. 

What began as a solo trek has grown into something much larger. Deren has invited local cyclists to join him as he passes through their hometowns, creating a rolling community of riders and a continuous chain of support all the way up the East Coast. 

The relay runs from June 27 through July 30, with one day each week set aside for rest and in case of rain delays. With friends and family members sponsoring each participant, Deren is hoping to raise between $20,000 and $40,000 in the event’s first year.

Why Deren chose prevention

At first, Deren’s father was surprised that his son wanted to support cancer prevention, rather than treatment. But he soon understood the logic: Research on stopping cancer’s onset needs more attention. “Prevention just isn’t given the same airtime as treatment at large charity events like these,” he says.

For Deren, the focus on prevention felt natural. His interest in exercise recently inspired him to learn about healthy eating, and also about pesticides and other hazardous chemicals in food. “When people pay attention to what they're putting into their bodies, it decreases their cancer risk,” he says.

Deren’s grandmother shared that same commitment to healthy living. She avoided plastic, opting for glass or metal food storage containers instead, and she installed a water filtration system in her home.  

Also legendary in the family was Grandma’s “breakfast soup.” A far cry from the sugary, processed cereals that Deren’s father says he used to crave, the concoction featured ingredients like beets, quinoa, and miso.

“My mom would always say, ‘Greg, read the label on the food before you buy it,’” he recalls. “It took me years to get there, but Deren already gets it.”

Continuing a grandmother’s legacy

Deren’s grandmother lived for 18 years after her cancer diagnosis before passing away at the age of 74. Her grandson has inherited two of her greatest passions—cycling and eating well—a fact that makes the loss feel sharper for Greg. “The two of them would be having the best conversations right now,” he says. 

At the same time, Greg notes, his mother’s healthy habits were not enough to protect her from cancer. Thanks to what he’s learned from his son, Greg now sees his mother’s story as a call for more prevention research. “We inadvertently interact with many chemicals that may put us at higher cancer risk, and we don't even know it,” he says. “We have so much more to learn.”

To join Deren’s relay, sponsor him virtually, or support the project in other ways, go to chainsunited.org. The event begins June 27th, 2026.