4,000 Miles, 2 Wheels, 1 Cause: Cross Country Charity Bike Ride Comes to Homewood

On June 10, the Illini 4000 for Cancer will ride through Homewood—just one stop on their 71-day, 4,500-mile journey from New York City to San Francisco. 

The club is on a mission to raise money for cancer research and patient services while documenting the American cancer experience through an effort known as the Portraits Project.

The 2014 Trek Bike America team will speak at Faith Lutheran Church, 18645 Dixie Hwy, from 3 to 5 p.m., and all community members are welcome, and those willing to share their experience with cancer are strongly encouraged to do so. The event is slotted to last until 10 p.m.

In its eighth year, the University of Illinois based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization sends a group of 20 students on a cross country bike ride to raise funds for cancer research and support service while spreading awareness. The organization has raised over $700,000 for a variety of charities including the American Cancer Society, Camp Kesem-Illinois, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the Ishan Gala Foundation, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, B+ Foundation, TLC Camp in Lombard, IL, and Cancer Research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In addition to fundraising, the team interacts with those in the cities and towns across the nation to document the American cancer experience through The Portraits Project, a collection of personal narratives and stories from survivors and caretakers that demonstrate how cancer affects people across America.