AFTER REST STOP IN EUGENE, TEXAS 4000 RIDERS MAKE IT TO ALASKA
In July, Y staff and LIVESTRONG® at the YMCA alumni and volunteers hosted 28 bicyclists at the Y during their 70-day journey.
The riders were part of a larger group of 80 riders on the Texas 4000 bike ride. Texas 4000’s mission aligns with the Y’s. They cultivate student leaders and engage communities in the fight against cancer by sharing hope, knowledge, and charity through leadership development, grant-making, and their cornerstone event, a 4,000-mile bike ride from Texas to Alaska.
Your Y was proud to step up and show caring, love, and generosity to these young people by offering restorative yoga and foam-rolling classes. And thanks to donations from around the community, your Y provided a hearty snack, dinner, and breakfast for all riders.
“I love that our Y gave these students a taste of what we do every day at our Y: Come to our Y, we welcome everyone, all you have to do is show up and we will provide a safe place for you to just be you,” says your Y’s own Colleen Glick, who coordinated the partnership with Texas 4000. “We were heartened to hear that one rider spent the day after her visit riding in gratitude for our Y. She said being at our Y was the first time that riders felt safe enough to relax and just be themselves.”
At dinner, they shared their “Why I Ride” stories. Riders give presentations at every stop and also deliver grant money to various cancer research centers along the way.
During the traditional morning dedication circle, a LIVESTRONG® at the YMCA alumnus asked if riders could dedicate their ride to Joe, a former LIVESTRONG® at the YMCA participant who just went into hospice.
“To know that they rode for Joe that day brings tears to my eyes,” said Colleen, who works with cancer survivors in your Y’s LIVESTRONG® at the YMCA program.
The Texas 4000 group has since made it to their destination: Anchorage. Your Y is honored to play a role in helping them get there.
