Working to raise funds and awareness for cancer research, 79 students from the University of Texas at Austin have embarked on a more than 4,500 mile bike ride.
27 of them made their way to Grande Prairie last night for a pit stop at Revolution Place.
The group had hoped to have Mayor Bill Given join them as they rode into the city, but a sudden thunderstorm forced them inside.
Texas 4000Â was started in 2003, and this is the second time a group has taken the Ozarks way.
Route travel chair Vanessa Beltran says they all have very personal reasons for taking part.
“One of my best friends, his [8 year old] cousin got diagnosed with an untreatable brain cancer. Just seeing the strain that it put on his family was very difficult, and I just want to do something about it. This is our way of just helping any way that we can.”
With their counterparts on other routes, they’ve raised more than $587,000Â towards their $600,000Â goal.
Next stop is Dawson Creek on their way to their final destination in Anchorage, Alaska.