Hollister
– A 100-mile bike ride probably isn’t your ideal way to spend a
Saturday, and it’s not for Hollister resident Mike Young
either.
Hollister – A 100-mile bike ride probably isn’t your ideal way to spend a Saturday, and it’s not for Hollister resident Mike Young either.
But Young plans to participate in a 100-mile ride around Lake Tahoe on June 3 as part of a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Billed as “America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride,” the annual event attracts people from around the country.
“I’m not a bike rider,” said Young, 38. He said it has probably been more than five years since the last time he rode a bicycle. “But it’s a good cause.”
The ride is organized by Team in Training, a nonprofit organization that works with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Each participant commits to raising $2,400, along with paying $500 of their own money.
Young’s wife, Maria and two sons, Kevin, 10, and Jakob, 6, were surprised to hear he had made the decision to take part in the ride.
“It was a surprise for me because he doesn’t like to ride bikes,” Maria Young said, laughing.
Although this is Young’s first time participating in the event, he is confident that the cause will keep him motivated. Young admitted he was not in the best shape of his life, but thought this would be a good push for him to shape up.
“You’re motivated to get in shape and help kids with leukemia,” Young said.
Young decided to take part in the event two weeks ago, along with a friend from work. Young works as an electrician for the NASA research center in Mountain View. After deciding to participate in the ride, Young purchased a bicycle off craigslist.org and began biking 10 miles daily with his friend over the lunch hour.
The Tahoe ride raises more than $8.5 million each year. Last year, 182 people from the Bay Area took part in the ride, raising $763,000 for the cause, according to Barb McDowell, marketing director for the Silicon Valley and Monterey Bay Area Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Seventy-five percent of donations from the ride go to research on the cancer of the blood.
Team in Training helps bicyclists prepare for the ride by organizing group outings and increasing endurance. They also set up every rider with a mentor, who has participated in the ride in the past and an honoree – a local resident who has been affected by leukemia or lymphoma. The honoree is designed to inspire the rider.
“When you think about it, it’s challenging for me, but these people (with blood cancer) have challenges they face every day,” said Young.
To sponsor Young or make a donation, contact him at [email protected] or donate online at www.active.com/donate/tntsvmb/tntsvmbMYoung.
Alice Joy covers education for the Free Lance. Contact her at (831) 637-5566 or at [email protected].
