| Pedaling
Across Country for Cancer |
By Erin E. Fogg 
Observer Staff Writer |
| Some 20-year-olds spend their summers lounging at the beach,
others land internships that will launch their careers. Some
wait tables and save the tip money for living expenses or
new clothes. Some complete college courses to get ahead or
to catch up. Some vacation with their families or take fun
road trips with friends. |
| Others hop on a bike and pedal 4,000 miles from Baltimore
to San Francisco, raising money and awareness for a cause
that is close to their heart. |
| Kacey White of Herndon is one such 20-year-old. Heading
into her junior year at Johns Hopkins University studying
biomedical engineering, White is a member of a small team
bicycling across country in the fourth annual Hopkins 4K for
Cancer. Their goal is to raise $60,000 for the American Cancer
Society's Hope Lodge, a residence for out-of-town cancer patients
seeking treatment at Baltimore hospitals. |
| White spent June 19, her 20th birthday and Father's Day,
pedaling through Kansas City. It may have just been another
day on the road, but her father, Kevin White, knows the days
coincided this year for a reason. |
| "I look back and think when I was her age, the last thing
I'd want to do is something like this," Kevin White said.
"She's an amazing kid because she does something like give
up her summer for a great cause." |
| Diagnosed six years ago with prostate cancer, he has been
the primary inspiration for his daughter's monumental journey.
It is difficult for Kevin White to remain composed when talking
about Kacey's arduous and meaningful trek. |
| "The thing that gets me is she is really unselfish," he
said. "She thinks of other people and then she acts on it. |
| "We need people like that." |
| When Kacey was about 10 years old, the Whites decided to
go on a four-day family biking trip from Columbia, Md. along
the canal. Kevin White said it ended up being a lot more difficult
than they thought it would be, the first day alone had them
finishing 40 miles. But it was a great foreshadow into his
daughter's trip this summer. |
| "I remember she was riding in front of me," he said. "I
could see those little legs in front of me just pumping away. |
| "She's pretty tough." |
| Kacey White must be exponentially tougher, physically and
mentally, for the Hopkins 4K. She had a previous ankle injury
that kept her from playing varsity soccer but still allowed
her to bicycle. But being prepared for this trip was impossible.
The 23 students embarked from Baltimore on May 29 and the
first four days were a major wake-up call as they faced the
steep sections of the Appalachian Mountains. |
| "No one was really ready for the Appalachians," she said.
"We thought a mile uphill was bad and we were all dying at
the top." |
| Now the group is completing nearly 100 miles a day, with
a break approximately every six days. More frequent breaks
are expected as they near the Rocky Mountains. Their break
days consist of taking part in service projects for local
community groups, in big cities and small towns, to promote
the reason for their journey and learn from others the widespread
effects of cancer. |
| In addition to the survivors and families of victims they
meet at group gatherings in churches, schools, hospitals and
YMCAs, Kacey White said the team runs into strangers at pit
stops who are touched by their mission. Many share their own
stories and hand the bicyclists money to make a contribution
in honor of their loved ones affected by the disease. |
| The people they meet along the way, those rooting for them
at home, and those like her grandmother and great-grandfather
who finally succumbed to the illness are what keep the team
pedaling. |
| "I think about them all the time," she said. "On a bike
you have a lot of time to think. It's all you can do." |
| Also on Kacey's mind is the patients at Hope Lodge, whom
the 4K team has been spending time with since last October.
Their weekly visits consisted of doing chores, cooking dinners,
and hosting fun activities like movie nights or casino nights.
The relationships the team has built at Hope Lodge have become
just as inspiring for their trip as their personal connections
to cancer. |
| The ticket to ride cost $3,000 and Kacey said raising that
money was much easier than she expected. She contacted family
and longtime friends for donations and talked about the trip
with people in passing. |
| "The biggest donation came from a man I met while doing
physical therapy for my ankle," she said. "You don't realize
until you start asking people about their lives how many people
are truly impacted by cancer." |
| Bicycling through the physical pain and exhaustion is a
struggle. The anticipated July 31 finish date at the Golden
Gate Bridge seems far in the distance. Kacey White said she
knows now why people looked at her like she was crazy when
she told them about her summer plans. She's still surprised
at and grateful for the unwavering support of her parents
even as teammates experience rough falls or get struck by
cars on the road. But when things get tough, she looks back
on special memories. |
| "You remember the stories you've heard along the way of
people who have survived and those who haven't," she said.
"And it's worth it. You just don't want to quit. |
| "I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my summer." |
| Visit www.hopkins4k.org for information about the trip and
student journal entries from the road. |
