On July 12, 2008, at 9:45 a.m., bystanders at Bayshore Park in Munising, Michigan, knew they were observing an extraordinary event. A crowd was cheering on two cyclists with trailers attached to their bikes as they departed the park with police escorts. The cyclists, Todd Kent and Rob Lundquist, were embarking on a 2,600-mile bike tour that would take them west across the United States from Michigan's Upper Peninsula to Oregon's coastal city of Portland. The men were not on vacation nor engaging in a vanity project. Their goal was a selfless one: to raise money for breast cancer awareness.
History
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 191,410 women were diagnosed with and 40,820 women died from breast cancer in 2006. Todd Kent and Rob Lundquist did not use such frightening statistics as an excuse for backing down from a fight against cancer. The men are members of the Anna River Pedalers cycling club. Cancer affected their lives when three female friends, all board members of the club, developed breast cancer. Seeing firsthand how cancer derailed their friends' lives, the men decided to do more than just offer their condolences. They decided to take action.
Mission
Kent and Lundquist named their mission "Pedalers 4 a Cure." Their goal was to raise $20,000 for The Eric R. Beverly Family Foundation, a charitable foundation that aids people who are fighting cancer. The money would provide support to Upper Peninsula residents with breast cancer and to local organizations that work to benefit people with breast cancer. On their website, Pedalers4acure.com, Kent and Lundquist state: "It is our hope that our mission will have a positive impact on the lives of others and bring encouragement to individuals and the families of those facing this disease." On the day of their departure, Kent and Lundquist had already raised $15,000.
Time Frame
A 2,600-mile bike tour is not to be taken lightly. It took Kent and Lundquist one-and-one-half years to prepare for their tour. They predicted that the journey would take them about one month to complete. Forgoing a support and gear vehicle, known as a SAG, the men attached trailers, containing all the supplies they would need during the trek, to their mountain bikes. At the close of each day of cycling, they usually camped for the evening or occasionally stayed in motels. The cyclists planned to ride 100 miles each day for the first seven days of the tour.
Geography
Kent and Lundquist rode through eight states during their tour: Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. They witnessed ever-changing scenery in these parts of the country: from the rolling green hills and farmlands of the Midwest, to the wide expanse of plains of the West North Central states, to the majestic mountains in the Pacific Northwest. The men rode on three well-known bike routes, which included the Northern Tier Route, the Great Parks Route and the Lewis and Clark Route.
Benefits
Kent and Lundquist started their journey on July 12, 2008, in Munising, Michigan, and reached their destination, The Bike Gallery in Portland, Oregon, on Aug. 8, 2008, where friends and family proudly awaited their victorious arrival. During their 2,600-mile bike tour across a good chunk of America, these two cycling enthusiasts with a daring dream said they shared information, support, encouragement, love, friendship and a positive attitude with countless people. They raised money for and awareness about cancer, two powerful tools in the fight against this disease. Kent and Lundquist proved that the selfless actions of a few can positively affect the lives of many.
