LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A group of Western Kentucky University fraternity brothers is nearing the end of its cross-country bike ride which raises money for Alzheimer’s disease research.

The students are part of the nonprofit Bike4Alz, which was founded in 2010 by WKU alumnus Tyler Jury after seeing his grandfather struggle with Alzheimer’s. 

This year, Bike4Alz hopes to raise $150,000. So far, they’ve raised nearly $90,000. 

The ride began in San Francisco and will end in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on July 28. Along the route, the group hosts fundraising events and on Sunday, July 10, they reached Louisville. 

Bike4Alz founder Tyler Jury hosted the nonprofit’s largest fundraiser at a business he co-owns in Nulu, Clayton & Crume.

“Seeing young men who want to dedicate their summer to something other than just enjoying it and having fun and doing a ride like this develops them as people who are going to be better contributors to the community, but also helps advance the awareness and dollars raised for Alzheimer’s research,” Jury said.

Jury says after completing the first ride, he was unsure if there would ever be another. Over a decade later, there have been countless others who have carried on what he started.

“The dollars will help research and advocacy, but at the end of the day, our goal is to see an end to the disease and until we see that, that’s why we keep fighting,” Jury said.

In the 12 years since Bike4Alz was started, nearly half a million dollars has been raised. 

Of the current group of riders, more than half are close to someone who’s been affected by Alzheimer’s. 

“Seeing the impact, seeing the struggle that they go through and, more importantly, the caretakers, what they go through to be able to care for those affected by Alzheimer’s. It’s a terrible thing, so that’s why we are all here united by this cause and hopefully raise money for this disease so we can end it one day,” said Logan Majors, one of this year’s riders.

If you would like to donate to Bike4Alz, you can do so here.