This year’s Roper Ruritan Leukemia Bike-a-Thon was one for the books as a record number of participants took part in the charitable event, bringing together multiple communities to honor the memory of a young man taken too soon.
In contrast to last year’s event, which featured 59 participants, over 150 bikers and walkers participated in Saturday morning’s event, something that long time organizers, Judy and Tommy Marriner found incredibly encouraging and energizing.
“It’s just wonderful. We ended up with 150 people, including the support team,” Judy recounts. “It was a big family thing, including his church family and the folks that came out from the research station where he worked.”
Her husband echoed her enthusiasm, remarking that Saturday’s outing provided a few good problems to have.
“We needed three boards to get everybody marked down and registered!” Tommy said. “I tell you what, it’s good thing to see out here on a Saturday morning…I’m just as glad as can be…we even had to go and get more stuff for the hotdog lunch...”'
