By Sarah Rae

Students on trans-continent journey make stop in N.B. along the way

Jul 19, 2016 | 12:30 PM

American students riding for “hope, knowledge and charity” visited North Battleford during a 10-week, continent-touring bicycle ride to raise money for cancer research.

Sixty-six University of Texas students will make the trek from Austin to Anchorage, Alaska in a 10-week annual charity ride called the Texas 4000. Yesterday, July 18, 22 of those students arrived in the city.

Arin Madera said she was inspired to join the ride in honour of her grandmother, who passed away from cancer last year, and her aunt Kathy who’s battling brain, bone and lung cancer.

“To me the ride is this metaphor, and of course it doesn’t at all compare to having cancer, but it’s a little way that I can kind of fight beside my aunt,” she said. “I ride for my grandmother and my aunt Kathy but I’ve come to ride for everyone that I’ve met along the way this summer because you meet someone every day that you want to ride for.”

Each of the students raised more than $4,500 before setting out and went through 18 months of leadership training. The students hosted cancer prevention seminars during multiple city stops and continue to raise money on the road.

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Madera said one story which stuck with her and the whole team is of a five-year-old boy named Connor who had neuroblastoma. The riders were asked to visit him and told he’d love it if they brought him a card.

Madera said Connor has since passed away but they continue to ride for him as she thinks about him every day.

According to rider Fred Tally-Foos, the group is constantly surprised how often they’re approached by people inquiring about the “Fighting Cancer Every Mile” logo on their jerseys. He said a goal of the ride is to create a forum for people to share how cancer has touched their lives.

“(People) ask us what they can do and they can always donate to our cause, but you can also just be available to people in your life because so often all they need is someone to talk to…They just need you to talk about your story and say this happened to me or this happened to my brother, or my sister, or my mother,” he said.

Tally-Foos said the ride has taught him to not get caught up in the future, but focus on the present. He’s learned as much as you prepare, there’s always something surprising to deal with.  

The team will next head to Lloydminster. They’ll stop in Edmonton and a few other places before meeting the rest of their group in Whitehorse.

Brook Chambers said finally reaching Alaska is going to be an accomplishment she’ll hold on to for the rest of her life. She thought after finishing she’d know for sure her power to do something big and impactful.

The greatest take-away from her journey is the everyday kindnesses she experienced from strangers.

“I know when I get back that I’m going to take that with me and I’m going to want to be that person that stops and talks to someone or stops and helps someone out and to not be so timid about being generous with people,” she said.

Sarah Rae is battlefordsNOW’s court and crime reporter. She can be reached at Sarah.Rae@jpbg.ca or tweet her @sarahjeanrae.