Will Carey of Valrico truly has a love and passion for the community. He has been involved with various local organizations such as Tampa Bay Harvest and Winthrop Arts Mobile Art Factory to name a few. Many thought Carey would never retire, but he did and found it to be lackluster.
“I retired in 2018 and I was very active in the community, so I was looking for something new to do,” Carey said. “When I came across the Great Cycle Challenge, I had some selfish motives because I wanted to do something that kept me physically active. When I found this challenge, I fell in love with it.”
The Great Cycle Challenge started in 2015, and after just seven years the event has grown to become one of the biggest cycling events in the United States.
In this event, people of all ages, abilities and states across the country set themselves a personal riding goal and challenge themselves to pedal to fight kids’ cancer. This year, the challenge will take place throughout the month of September.
In seven years, a community of riders from all 50 states have ridden a total of 25,647,476 miles and raised $52,524,379 in support of research to develop better treatments and find a cure for childhood cancer.
“My goal is to pedal 210 miles throughout the month of September,” Carey said. “Why am I doing this? Because cancer is the largest killer of children from disease in the United States. Thirty-eight children die of cancer every week. My challenge will be tough, but it’s nothing compared to what these brave kids and their families face every day of their lives as they battle this terrible disease. Kids should be living life, not fighting for it. So, I am taking on this challenge to end childhood cancer and save little lives.”
The community that Carey loves has stepped up to help him as well. So far, he has raised over $1,200. His goal is $1,500, and he hopes he will beat his goal. “All funds raised will support Children’s Cancer Research Fund to continue their work to develop innovative treatments and find a cure for childhood cancer,” Carey said.
If you would like to learn more about the 2022 Great Cycle Challenge, visit its website at www.greatcyclechallenge.com.
If you would like to donate to Carey’s Great Cycle Challenge, you can visit his donation page at www.greatcyclechallenge.com/riders/willcarey/oall.
