This year’s Texas 4000, a bike ride across the continent to raise money for cancer, is kicking off in Lampasas on June 2.
Thanks to Lampasas ISD, the 69 University of Texas students will stay in the Bozarth Fowler Gym this weekend. On Saturday, a total of 700 bikers will join the students in a 25 or 50-mile charity ride.
This is the first time the city of Lampasas has hosted the kick off for the Texas 4000, something the mayor calls a huge honor for the city.
“Every small town has its own uniqueness and charm. When it comes to people, I don’t think there's anything better than the folks here in Lampasas. When something like this happens, we get recognition. The people get recognition for their hard work and it shines a spotlight on the people and community of Lampasas, it makes me incredibly proud,” Misti Talbert, the Mayor of Lampasas, said.
The city has been preparing for Saturday's event for months.
“We’ve coordinated our public safety, that’s our fire, our police, EMS, even county officials. We want to make sure that all the riders, their families and their event organizers are taken care of while they’re in town,” Finley Degraffenried, the Lampasas City Manager, said.
The City of Lampasas along with the county repaved several roads and laid sidewalks to prepare for the charity ride on Saturday.
On Sunday, the students will embark on their journey to Alaska. They will break into three groups, all taking different routes through the continental United States and into Canada. They will then meet up in Anchorage, Alaska in approximately 70 days.
Last year’s students raised roughly one million dollars for M. D. Anderson Cancer Research Center.
The charity ride day event kicks off Saturday at 8 a.m. at Campbell Park.
If you would like to register for the charity ride, either 25 or 50 miles, you can do so starting at 6 a.m. on Saturday. The registration fee is $80.
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