Bike4Alz cycling through city next week
Jul. 2—Thirteen students from Western Kentucky University currently bicycling from San Francisco to Virginia Beach, Virginia, will be passing through Owensboro next week.
Known as Bike4Alz, the riders will be hosting a silent auction at Fetta Pizza in Owensboro from 6-9 p.m. on Wednesday.
WKU graduate David Weafer, who has ridden in the event previously, is coordinating the Owensboro fundraising event.
"Bike4Alz started in 2010; it started with a fraternity at WKU called Phi Gamma Delta, and the person who started it, his grandfather passed away from Alzheimer's and he wanted to honor his memory in the best way he knew how," Weafer said.
The idea of a coast-to-coast bike ride was born, and the ride has become an annual tradition for the fraternity.
Weafer said around $500,000 has been raised for Alzheimer's research and awareness to date. The goal for this year is to raise $150,000.
"I think they just might do it," he said. "As far as I know, they were the first group to have $50,000 raised before they even left."
The riders set off from San Francisco on May 22, and are expected to complete the 70-day trek on July 28 in Virginia Beach, averaging about 70 miles per day for a total of about 3,700 miles.
"No one who does the ride is a professional," Weafer said. "When I did it, I bought my bike a few months before I took off."
Despite the physical challenges that come with bicycling across the country, Weafer said it does not compare to what families dealing with Alzheimer's disease are facing every day.
Those wishing to donate can visit www.bike4alz.org or participate in the silent auction next Wednesday at Fetta Speciality Pizza, 118 St. Ann St., Owensboro.
"I think we have 30-40 items from almost exclusively local businesses," Weafer said.
Auction items range from a bottle of Blanton's bourbon to a STIHL chainsaw and a basket from Trunnell's Farm Market.
