Bike4Alz teams up with Blaze Pizza to raise money for Alzheimer’s research

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) - Every year, a team of WKU students raise money and then go on a cross-country bike ride to bring awareness to Alzheimer’s disease. Last year, the trip had to be canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but now all of the students have been vaccinated and are ready to pick up where they left off.

“We’re really excited, all the preparations are starting to fall into place,” Trey Sims said. We’re nearing the end of the semester, I think seven of us on the team that was going to do it last year, but unfortunately, we had to cancel because of the Coronavirus, but we’ve been thinking about it since then.”

Biking 3,600 miles from coast to coast, the students will make stops along the way hosting fundraising events and spreading awareness of Alzheimer’s Disease.

“Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in America, and unlike a lot of other diseases, it affects the mind in a way that you feel like they’re there, but you don’t even know them anymore, which is so hard on the families and the person themselves,” Justin Geilear explained.

The students have not only been raising money but physically training for the cross-country ride. Preparing to bike about 60 miles per day.

“My grandmother was affected by Alzheimer’s. That’s the reason for me riding,” Jake York said. “I’m a little nervous personally, just because it’s a crazy trip but super excited again, and we can’t we can’t wait to get started.”

Thursday evening, Blaze Pizza hosted a fundraising event for Bike4Alz. If you mentioned the cause, 20 percent of what you ordered went to Alzheimer’s research.

“We have a lot of support going through the country. We start here, and we’ll drive out to California and we have people out there helping us and it really means a lot,” York stated.

This year, Bike4Alz is asking the public to fill out their ‘Dedicate a Day’ form on the organization’s website. You can enter in a person’s name that has been affected by Alzheimer’s disease, and they will be honored during one day of the trip of your choosing.

This year, the team will start their 3,600-mile journey on May 18, passing through Bowling Green on July 9 and 10. They will go from California to Virginia Beach, ending the trip on July 28.

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