CHARITABLE TAKING THE ARIZONA DIVISION OF THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY EATS UP 95 PERCENT OF ITS BUDGET WITH SALARIES AND OVERHEAD. CANCER VICTIMS GET THE LEFTOVER CRUMBS.

Mittness says next time, he will seriously consider supporting a group that has less overhead and delivers more money "to fight the cause rather than feed the organization."

Mittness' extraordinary effort to raise money for the American Cancer Society fell a little short. He was forced to stop his ride on U.S. 89 northeast of Flagstaff because darkness made it too dangerous to continue.

He did raise some money for the society. He just doesn't know how much. It seems ACS-Arizona commingled donations that came in under Mittness' name with other funds. All the cancer society could tell him was that his nonstop, 400-mile bike ride in the middle of the summer raised several thousand dollars.

Perhaps a few hundred were even used to directly benefit Arizona cancer victims.