Beech Grove Fire Chief Supports Local Rider’s Mission to Fight Childhood Cancer

With a smile as bright as her spirit, 4-year-old Evelyn “Evie” Perez marked the end of nearly two years of treatment for childhood cancer.

JASPER, Texas – Four-year-old Evelyn “Evie” Perez has spent nearly half of her young life fighting Stage 4 Metastatic Neuroblastoma. Diagnosed in June 2023, her family was told words no parent ever wants to hear. For almost two years, they endured the roller coaster of hospital stays, harsh treatments, and long nights filled with prayer and uncertainty.

This spring, Evie reached a milestone many families long for but not all get to see: she rang the bell, marking her last scheduled treatment. Though her journey is not yet over — doctors will continue monitoring her condition closely — the sound of that bell rang out as a victory cry of courage, resilience, and answered prayers.

Evie’s story has inspired many, including family friend Greg Cohrs. Cohrs, who spent decades working for the U.S. Forest Service, is well known in East Texas. In 2003, he was stationed at the Sabine National Forest and played a key role in the recovery efforts following the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. Beech Grove Volunteer Fire Department Fire Chief James Gunter, who worked alongside him during that mission, calls Cohrs “a professional and a man of his word.”

Now retired, Cohrs has found a new mission: fighting for kids like Evie through the Great Cycle Challenge, a nationwide effort where riders set personal mileage goals each September to raise money for the Children’s Cancer Research Fund.

Over the past five years, Cohrs has logged more than 1,200 miles on his bike and raised $18,722 to fight childhood cancer. This September, he has pledged to ride 100 miles in honor of children currently battling the disease — including 14-year-old Lilly Holmes, 10-year-old Callum, and 4-year-old Evie Perez — and in memory of several young lives lost, including Kaygan Blanchette, Farrah Fabian, Kali Ann Leone, and Braden Strebeck.

“This is personal,” Cohrs wrote on his campaign page. “Kids should be living life, not fighting for it. I’m riding to give these kids the brighter futures they deserve.”

Greg Cohrs, who worked for years with the U.S. Forest Service at Sabine National Forest and has deep ties to Jasper County rides in the Great Cycle Challenge to honor children battling cancer, including 4-year-old Evie Perez, who recently completed her last scheduled treatment.

Since its founding 10 years ago, the Great Cycle Challenge has raised more than $72 million nationwide, funding lifesaving treatments and research.

“Greg’s passion is real,” Chief Gunter said. “He’s riding not just for Evie, but for thousands of children who deserve to grow up without the shadow of cancer.”

Community members are invited to support Cohrs’ ride and honor these children by donating at: greatcyclechallenge.com/Riders/GregCohrs

Every donation helps fund vital research and provides hope for families across the country.

For Evie, each new day is a gift — and for Greg, every mile pedaled is a promise that her fight, and the fight of countless children, will not be in vain.