Diane Saunders and Jeff Brunner ride the Tour de Pier on the “Live Like Bob Saunders” team.

Bob Saunders was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of appendix cancer in 2018. Their dear friend and fellow UCLA Bruin, Karen Hunt, formed a team for the Tour de Pier. Our family was all in to ride in the Tour de Pier and raise money for Cancer research & support.

When Diane’s husband, Bob , no longer had kids of his own to coach in Little League, he connected with Jeff to help him coach. They became fast friends, bonding over their passion for youth baseball and inspiring young athletes. They coached Manhattan Beach Little League together and brought home some trophies, but more importantly, they worked to make everybody on the team better.

Throughout his almost 4 year fight, Bob always found a way to be there for the team, his friends, and his family. He shared his cancer journey because he knew that others facing cancer needed hope. As Diane says, “Cancer was never the lead story with Bob.” 

He loved riding in the Tour de Pier with his friends on Team Hunt and sharing his knowledge with others dealing with a cancer diagnosis. He loved it so much that in September of 2021, too frail to ride, his friends and family wheeled him down to the event in a wheelchair so he could share in the day’s festivities. Sadly, he passed just 15 days later.

After his passing in 2021, Jeff and Diane formed Bike Bob in his honor. Jeff’s competitive side emerged as he started reaching out to all his contacts. “If I’m going to do this, Bike Bob needs to be on the front page.” Jeff reached out to all their friends, family, and contacts and was impressed by the outpouring of support. Bike Bob has been one of the top 5 fundraisers for Tour de Pier. It is a way for Jeff and Diane to honor Bob and ensure he will never be forgotten.

https://vimeo.com/tourdepier/bikebob