4K for Cancer cyclists visit Polson
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
3 of 3 free articles.
POLSON — Cycle, inspire, unite is a motto shared by 4K for Cancer bicyclists, and they really mean it. Their goal is to inspire and unite communities across the United States in the fight against cancer.
Pedaling from Baltimore, Md. to Seattle, 26 4K for Cancer bikers paused on their journey and spent the night in Polson on July 19.
The cyclists, mostly rising college seniors or college graduates, are trying to raise $450,000 for cancer research and scholarships. In addition to the group visiting Polson, two other flocks of bicyclists began their 4,000-mile cross-country journeys on May 29 also, one to San Francisco and one to Portland.
St. Joseph's Medical Center provided a hot chicken and pasta dinner and a place to sleep for the bikers in the Grandview Clinic. Showers compliments of the Polson Motorcoach and KOA were a welcome treat, too.
No, the students don’t earn money for their sore muscles and endurance. The cyclists each had to fundraise $4,500 for the trip. After the first $1,000 was raised, they received their bicycle so they could train while they continued fundraising, according to cyclist Rosemary Mallonee.
About 80 percent of the money is returned to cancer research and college scholarships for cancer survivors. To find where the money goes or to make a donation, visit the 4Kforcancer.org website.
Two support vans, one a 15-seat van and one a mini van, travel with the bikers. All the duffle bags go on top of the van so the cyclists only have to worry about themselves and their water bottles. Sometimes the vans serve as shuttle vehicles as they did on July 19 when lightning split the skies near St. Ignatius, and the students carpooled into Polson.
“We ride in the rain, but not lightning,” cyclist Becca Mathias explained.
This is the 10th year for 4K for Cancer cross-country ride. It started as a tiny student-led organization from Johns Hopkins University with a couple of college kids biking for a family member who had cancer. Now the organization has tripled in size. Rider Abraham Raum learned about the organization when a representative came to his college and spoke to the cycling club.
“But probably 98% of the students weren’t cyclists before this trip,” Mallonee said.
Now they average 85 miles per day. Their lowest mileage day was 45 miles at the beginning of their trek in the Appalachian Mountains. Their toughest climb was 35 miles over the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming, and their longest day was a 117-mile marathon into Ann Arbor, Mich.
An informal survey revealed the worst things about the ride are the odd tan lines from bike shorts and also sitting in the saddle all day.
On the serious side, Michael McNair spoke for many of the cyclists when he said he fights for those who cannot.
After breakfast at 5:45, the cyclists were up and on the road to West Glacier on July 22 with an ETA of Aug. 4 in Seattle.
