Brian Blickensderfer of Hellertown is preparing to embark on a 100-mile charity bicycle ride in Florida. The goal of the Feb. 25 ride in Miami is to raise money for cancer research, which for Blickensderfer is personally important. A cousin is currently battling stage 4 esophageal cancer, he explained, so the journey “is meaningful for me.” (Contributed photo)
A Hellertown man is looking forward to a bicycling adventure in Florida later this month, but before he embarks on his ride he hopes to raise at least $1,000 for cancer research.
Brian Blickensderfer said his 100-mile bike trip planned for Feb. 25 was inspired by the courage of a cousin who is currently battling stage 4 esophageal cancer, as well as by other family members who’ve been stricken by the disease.
Blickensderfer’s ride is part of a larger Miami Dolphins fundraising effort called Dolphins Challenge Cancer, which culminates in an annual run/ride walk held each February.
The ride, he explained, will begin and end at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, which is where the Dolphins–his favorite football team–play.
Blickensderfer admitted that he’s a little trepidatious about the thought of cycling 100 miles in a single trip, since the farthest he’s ever pedaled before was 50 miles.
“This will definitely be a challenge!” he said in an email.
Blickensderfer’s mission in the meantime is to reach–or surpass–his fundraising goal before he heads to Florida. As of Thursday he was nearly halfway there, having raised $425.
The money raised by the Dolphins Challenge Cancer ride will fund cancer research at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center in Florida. All gifts are tax-deductible and 100 percent of the money raised will go directly to cancer research and improving the lives of those impacted by cancer, according to information posted on the fundraising site.
To contribute toward Blickensderfer’s ride, visit Dolphins.DonorDrive.com.
