Bicyclists pedaling from Austin, Texas, to Denver to gather money for the nonprofit Pints for Prostates organization will stop Thursday in Durango as part of a two-week trip.
A party at Ska Brewing Co. will mark the eighth day of the ride, organized in Austin by Davis Tucker, who owns North by Northwest Restaurant and Brewery. Tucker, one of the riders, is celebrating the recovery of his brewmaster, Don Thompson, from prostate cancer.
In a statement from the road, Tucker said:
“My friend suffered from the effects of prostate cancer for a number of years. I wanted to do something to bring awareness to this disease and how important it is for men to get checked. More men will get prostate cancer in a given year than women will breast cancer, but nobody seems to be aware of this.”
Pints for Prostates is a grassroots foundation that promotes and supports education about the male scourge. It was founded by Rick Lyke, a North Carolina marketing executive, who had prostate cancer surgery in 2008.
The team that filmed the feature-length documentary “Crafting a Nation,” about the growth of craft breweries, is filming the Austin-to-Denver ride under the title “1400 Miles.”
Durango is the fourth of eight event stops along the route.
Accompanying the riders is Tucker’s refurbished 1974 Beerliner Bus, which is outfitted with four beer taps, three video screens and a commercial kitchen.
Riders are welcome to join the group at any point and cover any or all of the remaining legs. The next stop after Durango will be South Fork.
Ben Stalker at Service Cycle bike shop in Durango plans to accompany the group as it heads east.
“I don’t know how far I can go,” Stalker said Tuesday. “Maybe around Pagosa Springs, because I have to pedal back, and I have a class.”
Leaving South Fork, riders will stop in Salida, Breckenridge and Boulder before arriving in Denver on Tuesday ahead of the Great American Beer Festival scheduled Oct. 10-12.
daler@durangoherald.com
On the Net
For information about 1400 Miles or to make a donation to Pints for Prostates, visit www.1400miles.com. The Prostate Conditions Education Council is available at www.prostateconditions.org.
