College Students Spend Their Summer Raising Awareness For Cancer

ST. CLOUD - A group of college students from the University of Texas - Austin are spending their summer biking on the longest annual charity bicycle ride in the world.

On day 37 of the 13th annual Texas 4000, the group stopped in St. Cloud to continue their efforts to raise money and awareness for cancer and cancer research. To this point the group has already raised over $650,00.00.

Alex Shrode is the Director for the group coming through St. Cloud. He says the ride is about more than just raising money.

"We are on a 70 day adventure from Austin, Texas to Anchorage, Alaska. Along the way we are trying to spread hope, knowledge and charity which are our three pillars, along the way."

Some of the students start the 4000 mile trek with people they know that have been affected by cancer, others pick up incredible stories of survivors along the way. Shrode says one young man in particular has impacted much of the 21 riders.

"When we were at Texas Children's Hospital we had met a little boy named Max. He had been battling cancer for a while and had to be monitored a lot, and today is actually the day he was getting his bone marrow transplant. I know our team was riding for him today."

Max's story is just one of many that continue to motivate the riders everyday. When the group begins riding again tomorrow, one of those many stories will be on all of their minds.