It doesn’t matter how old you are. It doesn’t matter if you’re battling cancer, helping someone else fight the battle or have won the battle yourself.
On Saturday afternoon at the Bank of Colorado Arena on the University of Northern Colorado campus, everyone was a warrior.
A total of 40 teams participated in the 2025 Frank Gale Faith Not Fear Ninja Warriors event, a fundraising event benefiting the University of Northern Colorado Cancer Rehabilitation Institute. The event featured a zany obstacle course with footballs, basketballs, nets, balance beams and other objects to test every warrior.
Contestants in the Ninja Warriors event make their way through obstacles at the Bank of Colorado Arena on Saturday. The event was a fundraiser for the UNC Cancer Rehabilitation Center. (Jim Rydbom/Staff Photographer)One of the more seasoned warriors was 91-year-old Jeannie Meis. She was a member of the 4 Meisketeers team, and it was her first year competing in the event. Her son died of cancer in 2014.
“I think it’s a great idea to help anyone with cancer,” Meis said. “We’ve had several people in our family with cancer, and we just really want to support them and help them out in any way we can.”
Kaye Firestone, founder of the Frank Gale Faith Not Fear nonprofit, said this year’s event had double the number of teams from last year. Firestone was married to Frank Gale, who battled cancer and used the institute during his fight. Gale died in September 2021.
At 1 p.m., Firestone welcomed the teams and everyone else supporting their friends and family. She thanked everyone for continuing to grow the event and its mission. Despite her efforts every year, she informed the crowd that 134 cancer survivors are currently on the institute’s waiting list, an increase from the 93 who were on it last year.
Last September, the nonprofit received an $8,000 donation from Montana-based First Interstate Bank to reduce the patient waitlist.
Firestone founded the nonprofit and the event a few years ago to ensure the institute was able to keep helping others fight their cancer battle. Firestone said she’s happy to see her event grow along with its mission to highlight the institute.
“Our goal for the last three years has been to get awareness out about this phenomenal asset that we have in Greeley,” she said. “They (the institute) are the leaders nationwide, and no one knows about them. So that has been the goal of the Frank Gale Faith Not Fear is to make our community aware that they’re here because so many of us have been touched by cancer.”
Contestants in the Ninja Warriors event work their way through numerous obstacles while inside the Bank of Colorado Arena on Saturday. (Jim Rydbom/Staff Photographer)Last year, the Ninja Warriors event raised more than $150,000, Firestone said. The goal this year is $175,000, but she wants to see it hit or surpass $200,000. A silent auction at the event and other donations factor into the overall total. The total won’t be known immediately because other organizations are set to donate or match donations once the event is over, she said
Established in 1996 by Dr. Carole Schneider, the institute has helped more than 1,000 adult cancer survivors through exercise-based cancer rehabilitation. Funding for the institute comes from external financial support and normal fees for the survivors, but donations are critical to maintaining its services and care.
To learn more about the institute, go to unco.edu/nhs/cancer-rehabilitation-institute.
To learn more about the Frank Gale Faith Not Fear nonprofit, including how to donate, go to frankgalefaithnotfear.com.
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