BLANCHESTER — Blanchester was a host to the 35th annual Race Across America last week, with the local UDF and McDonald’s acting as a checkpoint for all participating in the bike race.
As the racers are a long way from their starting point in Oceanside, California, the checkpoints scattered across the country allow them to rest and refuel before heading back on their track to the final destination — Annapolis, Maryland.
One team competing is the Bean Team, which come from Fort Meyers, Florida. The Bean Team is a team of four bicyclists racing for Operation Homefront, an organization aiming to help wounded warriors — “Those both mentally and physically hurt,” said Justin Ruzicka, a racer for the Bean Team.
With the troubling statistic that 22 veterans commit suicide on a daily basis, this group aims to help all those who struggle with service related traumas. For more on this, find them on Twitter under #kill22.
As the 12-day race comes to a close, ending on the 27th for solo riders and on the 30th for team racers, a number of bicyclists from many states and nations passed through Ohio with the sole intention of winning the Race Across America for a multitude of causes.
