How did this crazy idea get started?

With the support of Georgetown Brewing Company, Kauai Family Restaurant, Sellen Construction, and Turner Construction, a small band of volunteers, led by Eric Cox, and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) went about the work of making the Winter Pineapple Classic a reality.  The Inaugural Pineapple event of November 11, 2006 saw over 750 participants navigate a multi-terrain obstacle course and raised $95,000.  In 2007 the numbers more than doubled with 1,700 participants raising nearly $200,000.  The exponential growth trend has continued since then.

The Winter Pineapple Classic was inspired by the impact cancer had on the Cox family.  In 2005 Eric’s wife was diagnosed with cancer then four months later his 2 year old son was diagnosed with leukemia.  The next four years consisted of testing and treatments while the family did what was necessary to get healthy again.  During this time the idea was born to create a unique event that would help drive funding for cancer research. 

Our goal is to ensure the Winter Pineapple Classic is an event not to be missed and drives funds to fight cancer for years to come.  The 13th annual Winter Pineapple Classic will be held on November 18, 2018 at Marymoor Park in Redmond, WA with a goal of raising $300,000.