AKRON, Ohio — Larry Keilin thinks the world of his mother. She passed away after a 20-year battle with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma last fall.

What You Need To Know

  • Larry Keilin, an Aurora resident, will bike more than 1,000 miles this summer

  • Keilin's mother passed away from the disease less than a year ago
  • He is doing this to raise money for Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
  • All proceeds will go to the Lymphoma & Leukemia Society

"For the most part, she got to see all of her grandchildren graduate high school or were very close,” Keilin said. “She got to spend more time with her friends and her husband.” 

Now, he’s getting ready for the bicycle journey of a lifetime, all in honor of his mother, Claudia. 

Keilin is training to do three major bike rides to raise money for the Lymphoma & Leukemia Society. 

“My mom was able to live with this disease for 20 years and she had a very good quality of life. My son-in-law is fighting leukemia right now. He is a young man,” Keilin said. “It takes money for this research so people can come up with these different protocols to put people on when they have this disease.” 

He’s calling his fundraiser "1,000 Miles for Life." 

“Over the course of three rides, I will probably be doing a little bit over 1,000 miles, maybe close to 1,2900 miles,” he said. 

By the time he finishes his last bike ride at the end of the summer, Keilin will turn 60. The last time he did a major ride like this was nearly three decades ago. 

“My mom was always my biggest fan, and she was always proud of everything I did,” he recalled. “She would be incredibly proud about this.” 

To learn more about Keilin's fundraiser, click here.