Actor Dempsey’s Fundraiser Raises $1.1M for Cancer

LEWISTON, Maine (AP) -- Actor Patrick Dempsey's bicycling, running and walking fundraiser in western Maine to raise money for his cancer center has netted more than $1 million.

Nearly 4,000 participants took part in the fifth annual Dempsey Challenge on Saturday and Sunday, raising $1.1 million for the Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer, Hope & Healing at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston. The final tally is expected to grow to more $1.2 million.

More than 1,100 cyclists rode routes ranging from 10 to 100 miles on Sunday, with Dempsey making an appearance during the event's closing ceremonies.

Dempsey, a native of Buckfield, plays Dr. Derek Shepherd on TV's "Grey's Anatomy." He launched the Dempsey Challenge after his mother's experience with cancer, and founded the Dempsey Center in 2008.