Lexington native preps to trek across the country on bike for a multi-tiered cause
Bike_row
Aaron Oppegard plans to ride 4,000 miles across the country this summer to benefit the non-profit organization 4K for Cancer. Photo by Kyle Wooton
For many people, scrolling through one’s Facebook newsfeed can be a part of a daily ritual and distraction. But this past summer, as Lexington native Aaron Oppegard scrolled through his newsfeed, he encountered a story that would significantly impact the immediate direction of his life.
In June of last year, 24-year-old Jamie Lynn Roberts was fatally struck by a pickup truck as she stopped to repair a flat bicycle tire on the side of U.S. 25 in Scott County. Part of a 28-person team traversing the United States on bicycle to raise money for the Ulman Cancer Fund through an effort called 4K for Cancer, Roberts left behind a grieving family, fellow riders, teammates and classmates who were moved by her benevolent effort to make a difference. As it made its way to Oppegard’s social media, the news of her uncompleted mission struck a chord with him not only because of the tragedy’s closeness to home, but because of a connection to a small Montessori school in Maryland called Barrie School, which Roberts and Oppegard had both attended as kids.
“It was so upsetting to read the story about Jamie’s death,” said Oppegard, who has lived in Lexington most of his life but attended Barrie School from second through fourth grade when his family lived in Maryland for a short time. “I can’t really explain how it felt to have seemingly separate worlds of mine collide in this way. ... I felt myself wanting to continue her mission.”
Fueled by the connection he felt with Roberts, Oppegard instantly took to Google to find out more about her and how he could carry on her torch. He found that beyond the Barrie School, the two of them shared other things in common — both had been NCAA Division III athletes (Oppegard was a soccer player; Roberts was a trisport, starting in soccer, lacrosse and basketball), and they both shared not only an interest in traveling but also a desire to do something bigger than themselves. Oppegard also researched more about the Ulman Cancer Fund, the organization Roberts was riding for, which – through efforts like 4K for Cancer – raises money for young adults with leukemia and other forms of cancer, providing college funding and other support.
“I applied to be a rider on the 4K for Cancer that very same night,” said Oppegard, adding that his intentions were not only to help raise money for a great cause but also to honor Roberts’ legacy. After a few months, he received confirmation he would be a part of a 70-day ride starting June 1, 2015, going from Baltimore to Seattle.
“I can’t wait to dip my tire into the water of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor next summer,” said Oppegard, who added that traveling across the country by bike has long been a dream of his. The riders are each expected to raise a minimum of $4,500, which goes toward treatment costs and college scholarships for cancer patients; they rely on donated food, lodging, and kindness from the people and communities they encounter as they traverse the United States.
A recent graduate from Iowa’s Coe College, Oppegard has eagerly put his business degree to work to start raising his personal goal of $8,000, through fundraising jars at his jobs, posting fliers around Lexington community boards and sharing his donation page via social media. Thus far, he has raised over $1,500 dollars through donations from his family and the Lexington community; on Feb. 15, he will link up with favorite hangout spot, West Sixth Brewing, to host a fundraising party complete with a silent auction and raffles of gift cards he is collecting from local businesses.
“I grew up watching Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France, and I can remember being blown away that those guys were biking the whole way through France,” Oppegard said. “This summer I’ll be biking across the U.S. at the same time as they are going across France, and that is even harder to believe.”
Fundraising Party
Feb. 15
West Sixth Brewing,
601 W. Jefferson St.
1-3 p.m.
Aaron Oppegard will host a fundraising party with a silent auction to raise money for his 4K for Cancer ride, which will take him more than 4,000 miles across the country by bicycle this summer to raise money for young adults with cancer.
profiles/aaron-oppegard/
For more information on the 4K for Cancer ride and to donate to Oppegard’s journey, visit http://4kforcancer.org/.