Ulman 4k For Cancer riders stop by South Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Twenty-eight cyclists left with a tire touch in the water at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor on June 2 and will be finishing 4,500 miles later with another tire touch in the Pacific Ocean from Crissy Beach in San Francisco on August 10.

The group made it to South Lake Tahoe on July 31 and took a day of rest Thursday, enjoying the beauty of the area. Temple Bat Yam hosted "Team San Francisco" for both nights, treating them to fellowship, meals and a place to sleep (along with laundry and showers). Bright and early Friday morning they'll take off and head south to Lee Vining with stops in Groveland, Jackson, Davis, Napa, Santa Rosa, Mill Valley before hitting San Francisco.

Every mile the cyclists cover from coast-to-coast matters because they are raising funds to support young adults and their loved ones impacted by cancer through the Ulman Foundation. Money raised goes to the young adults, scholarships and housing needs during treatment.

To ride, each of the participants had to raise at least $1/mile, or $4,500. The riders rely on meal donations and places to stay along the route in order to keep overhead down.

Not only is this group of 28 riders going across the country as part of the 4K for Cancer this summer, there are also another cycling group and three running relay teams. The runners are heading east from the Pacific Coast to Boston, Baltimore and New York City. The other cycling team is heading west to Seattle from Baltimore. The group staying in SLT come from across the country, including Washington, D.C., Santa Cruz, Maine, Virginia, New York, Oregon and Texas.

This is the 18th year 4K for Cancer teams have been assembled to cross the country. They have stopped in South Lake Tahoe before, first with host families assembled by Tahoe Douglas Rotary, and now with Temple Bat Yam for the last few years.

The riders not only raised their $4,500 prior to starting the 69-day trip, but they are also raising money along the way.

One of the group staying at Temple Bat Yam, Tai Melendy, is an example of how donations can help young adults facing cancer. He is a survivor having his brain's right temporal lobe removed, and end to seizures that plagued him much of his life. After the ride is over the 23-year-old will be applying for scholarships to attend college with his eyes set on a career in international law.

The hardest part of the trip so far? "The Rockies," said Melendy. His favorite states? "Utah and California."

Melendy's treatment was in Baltimore, a journey from his home in Maine. The home Ulman now has in Baltimore, the "medical center of the country," will help those like him who need a place to stay while away from home.

More information can be found at the Ulman Cancer Fund website https://4kforcancer.org/. To help with "Team San Francisco," visit https://ulman.z2systems.com/team-san-francisco-2019.