Denver, Colo. bic
yclist Chet Andes is making the 2,000-mile trek to his hometown, Denver, Pa., beginning Wednesday, to raise funds and awareness for cancer research.
Andes, a middle school technology-education teacher, will take a month to do the ride, covering between 50 and 120 miles each day. He plans to arrive in Denver, Lancaster County, on July 4.
Andes’ ride was spurred by his family’s battle with cancer. In 2006, cancer was diagnosed in Andes’ great-grandfather, grandfather and mother, Veronica Andes. Last year, Andes founded Denver2Denver (D2D), a grassroots organization of the Lance Armstrong Foundation. His goal is to raise $100,000 for the foundation.
A longtime cyclist, Andes trains with Optimize Endurance Services. He rides with the Optimize Endurance Mountain Bike Team.
Andes has been training six days a week in preparation for his ride. Cycling workouts last two hours during the weekday. Weekend rides are four hours with a minimum 75 to 100 miles a day.
“I’m lucky enough to live west of Denver, so I can go west and be climbing a good mountain or east to ride some of our dirt paths,” Andes told Lancaster’s Intelligencer Journal.
He will ride east out of Colorado and follow Route 6 through Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Rotating groups of family and friends will drive alongside Andes in an RV.
A D2D celebration is planned for Denver Memorial Park on Saturday, July 5, at 1 p.m. An eight-mile bike ride will be open to the public, and food will be provided by local donors.
Students at Cocalico High School are lending a hand to D2D. The school’s Leo Club recently sold D2D T-shirts for $5, along with Livestrong bracelets. Students sold 200 shirts created by the tech-ed department.
Andes’ homecoming will give him the chance to reunite with those who inspired D2D. His great-grandfather has been treated, and his grandfather is undergoing treatment for both colon and liver cancer. As for Andes’ mother, he is happy to report that she is “100 percent cured.”
Those interested in donating to Denver2Denver should visit www.denver2denver.org or www.myspace.com/den
