UAMS Welcomes Texas 4000 Bicyclists
| LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) today welcomed about 30 University of Texas students as they rode through Little Rock on the longest annual charity bicycle ride in the world.
The Texas 4000 team visited the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute and UAMS Myeloma Institute as a stop along the 4,000-mile ride from Austin, Texas to Anchorage, Alaska. This is the third year the group has visited UAMS.
As part of their trek, the riders volunteer at cancer-related community events and visit cancer treatment facilities to meet with survivors, patients, health care providers and family members.
Each rider must undergo extensive training prior to the ride, in addition to raising a minimum of $4,500 to be awarded as grants to organizations across the country for cancer research and support services.
“This is a dedicated group of young people who are committed to raising money and awareness in the fight against cancer. We were happy to be a stop on their journey again this year,” said UAMS Cancer Institute Director Peter Emanuel, M.D.
In its 12th year, the student riders began their journey in Austin on May 30 with a 70-mile community bike ride called ATLAS. From there, they headed north, separating into three routes — Rockies, Sierra and Ozarks — as they continue on a journey twice as long as the Tour de France. More than 400 riders have participated in the program since it began, raising more than $4 million for cancer research and survivorship programs across the country.
To learn more about Texas 4000 or read the riders’ blogs, visit www.texas4000.org.