Many students spend their summers hanging out by the pool or with friends.
Jody Cross will be riding her bike from Texas to Alaska.
Cross, a 25-year-old General Studies major, is participating in the Texas 4000, a fundraiser for cancer research. The ride begins this weekend and ends Aug. 10.
“I’ve been excited all along, but have been nervous the past few weeks,” she admitted.
A minimum $4,000 was required to participate; Cross raised $4,300. Although she received support from friends and family, she also spent time panhandling downtown. She wore a race-sponsored jersey or T-shirt so people would know it was for a cause, she said.
Cross’s great-grandfather died of cancer and some of her friends lost their parents or family members to the disease.
“It’s such an epidemic,” she said. “I just wanted to help people.”
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