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The longest annual charity bicycle ride in the world, the Livestrong Texas 4000 team, will be rolling through Whitehorse on July 30, 60 days after departing from Austin, Texas on to their final destination of Anchorage, Alaska.

While in Whitehorse, the 2013 Livestrong Texas 4000 Team will celebrate and share hope, knowledge and charity with friends and family before continuing on their 70-day journey.

In total, 69 students from the University of Texas in Austin brave anything nature throws at them, pedaling more than 4,500 miles (7,242 km) in support of the fight against cancer.

Along their journey, riders will volunteer at community events that contribute in the fight against cancer and visit with cancer survivors, patients, caregivers, and family members to make educational presentations about cancer prevention and early detection.

They also use this time to offer hope, encouragement and share their personal stories to cancer fighters of all ages and to those who have been affected by the disease. Every encounter is an inspirational story the riders carry with them on their journey and quest to fight cancer.

"This ride comes with some obvious physical demands and perhaps less than obvious emotional demands,鈥� said Texas 4000 executive director, Jen Garza. "It's incredibly encouraging for the riders to be supported by the people of Whitehorse, and have the opportunity to share their stories about how they pursue this ride in hopes of living in a cancer-free society.鈥�

Now in its 10th year, the student riders began their journey on June 1 with a 70-mile community bike ride. From there, the riders headed north, separating into three routes 鈥� Rockies, Sierra, and Ozarks 鈥� as they continued on a ride twice as long as the Tour de France.

Previously, riders separated into two routes 鈥� Rockies and Sierra 鈥� but the Ozarks route was created to celebrate the organization's first decade.

Whitehorse is a destination along the Rockies route.

The Ozarks route will hit almost double the population than the Sierra and Rockies routes combined, staying true to Texas 4000's mission in spreading hope to as many people as possible. Winnipeg and Edmonton are two major Canadian cities along that route.

"The ride itself serves as a metaphor for the difficult battle cancer patients wage each day,鈥� said Rockies rider Sarah Kettles. "A long and difficult road, with hard days and easier ones, good days, and not so good days.

"This is a difficult trip for me on many levels. But I have known so many people with cancer who bravely, fiercely, and with determination, fought this dreadful disease. I ride for those people.鈥�

Texas 4000 was founded when Chris Condit, a University of Texas student and cancer survivor, sought a way to share a message of hope, knowledge and charity to those battling the disease.

Since then, Texas 4000 has sent over 350 riders on their bicycles, traveling more than 1.9 million miles to honor those affected by cancer.

Collectively, these riders have raised more than $4 million for the fight against cancer, funding cancer research projects at MD Anderson Cancer Center, The University of Texas Biomedical Engineering Department, and survivorship programs such as the Livestrong Navigational Services Center.

To learn more, visit www.texas4000.org.