Fred Hutch’s Obliteride announces Andrea Gomes Morrison as its new director

Morrison’s crosscutting background in business and nonprofit administration will help propel Obliteride, one of the top ten fundraisers in Puget Sound, to achieve its ambitious fundraising and operational goals. At the helm of Obliteride, Morrison will lead community engagement and outreach efforts using Obliteride as a platform for increasing philanthropic support and awareness for Fred Hutch, growing the numbers of riders and boosting team participation. Every dollar raised through Obliteride goes directly to fund cancer research at Fred Hutch.

“Obliteride combines the deep passion of our supporters with the drive and urgency of Fred Hutch research in a powerful and meaningful way, and it’s not too late sign up to ride, volunteer or donate to this years’ event,” said Kelly O’Brien, Fred Hutch’s vice president for Philanthropy. “With Andrea’s expertise and enthusiasm, Obliteride is poised to reach even greater successes over the next several years.”

Morrison most recently served as co-operating partner at Fleet Feet Sports Seattle, a specialty store and hub for the Seattle-area running community that she co-owns with her husband, Brian. Previously, she was associate director of Undergraduate Global Programs at the University of Washington Michael G. Foster School of Business, where she also received a Master of Public Administration in Nonprofit Management. At the Foster School, Morrison focused on evaluation, communication, alumni relations and was instrumental in helping the school reach its global business education goals. Morrison also has experience managing events and communications at the ACLU of Washington and World Affairs Council.

“I am thrilled to be joining Obliteride and Fred Hutch, especially at such a pivotal time in cancer research,” said Morrison. “As director of Obliteride, I plan to build on our community’s passion and our team’s strong foundation to accelerate our goal of ending cancer.”

With just over four weeks to go, Obliteride 2017 kicks off on Friday, August 11 with a party at Seattle’s Gas Works Park. The ride features courses of 25-, 50-, 100-mile and 150-mile rides, with the 150-mile ride spread over two days, that start at Fred Hutch’s campus and wind through the Puget Sound region during the weekend of August 12 and 13. This year, Obliteride expects to blow past the $11 million fundraising mark and bring in more new community supporters than ever before.

For additional information about Obliteride, please visit the website. Photos and b-roll are available upon request.

###