Illini 4000 Bike Trip Across U.S. Already Raised 90 Percent Of Goal

The Illini 4000 is gearing up for its annual, coast-to coast bike trip to raise money for cancer research and awareness. The group—made up primarily of University of Illinois students--has already raised $90,000 towards its $100,000 goal.

Collin McKeough is the group's Director of Logistics. He says every rider has his or her own reason for riding. 

“[For] some its very personal, some do it because they just want to give back and impact the community," said McKeough. "Me personally, I lost my grandfather my freshman year of high school to lung cancer.” 

The Illini 4000 board member says the group has no paid members—and that all of the funds go to its beneficiaries. 

He says his team of cyclists started preparing for the trip last October. He says that for many of the cyclists, it is their first time clipping into a road bike. 

“We’ve been biking all around the Champaign-Urbana area. We’ve been to Allerton, we’ve been to Kickapoo, all over town, it’s a very nice area to cycle," said McKeough.

The team is expected to take two months or more to bike the entire 4,800 mile route. They will depart from Central Park in New York City on Saturday May 19, and travel all the way to San Francisco, California. 

McKeough spoke following a Monday ceremony on the U of I Urbana campus—where Chancellor Robert Jones and other administrators were presented with bicycle gear. They will be taking part in one day of the Illini 4000 in the Champaign-Urbana area.