Texas and Alaska are separated by about 6437.4 km’s of road, trails, cities, villages, lakes and rivers. Imagine biking… no not motorcycling, but actually peddling that entire distance in 70 days! Well that is what a group of determined Texas University students are doing right now, and it’s all for a great cause. “The Texas 4000’s mission is to cultivate student leaders and engage communities in the fight against cancer”.Each individual that partakes commits to raise at least $4,500 and volunteer 50 hours in community before the race even begins. The group on a whole has already raised about $560,000 dollars this year alone! This means they are getting closer to their 2016 fundraising goal of $825,ooo. On top of their fundraising efforts, the riders are spreading messages of cancer prevention and early detection across North America, through educational programs put on in many of the towns they ride through. To get this message to as many people as possible the riders are split into 3 different routes. There’s the Sierra which takes riders along the coast up to Vancouver before heading more inland to finish the route, the Rockies which lead bikers through Calgary, and Ozark which took them through the heart of the US and across Ontario to the Yukon.
Two of these routes (The Rockies and Sierra) lead some of the dedicated riders right to Prince George where today they got to stop for a well deserved rest day. Another group of bikers (those taking the Sierra route) will also be rolling into town on the 28th. I got the opportunity to speak to some of these riders and learned why they decided to go on the ride, heard some great memories, and more on their fundraising efforts.
The three riders I spoke to were Andrew Coulter, Alexandria Lawrence, and Olive Arena. They all had very personal reasons for riding, and all stated that they are very happy for having the opportunity to take on this challenge. They are all getting closer to their fundraising goals as they get closer and closer to the finish line. To hear from them, listen to the podcast linked.
For more info, or to donate, visit http://www.texas4000.org
-Laura Smith, Twitter: @lasmith98
[mixcloud https://www.mixcloud.com/laura-smith36/interview-with-texas-4000-riders/ width=100% height=120 hide_cover=1 light=1]
