Ten thousand mile ride for childhood cancer

A man on a mission to cycle 10,000 miles across the country made his way through Gulfport today. This is all in an effort to raise money for those affected by childhood cancer. Kenneth Bettencourt says he’s supporting an effort close to his heart that hits close to home.
It’s been a long road for Ken Bettencourt, who is traveling 10,000 miles cross country on his bike to help raise awareness for childhood cancer. While he breezed through South Mississippi Wednesday, he’s pedaling to help get support for families across the nation affected by childhood cancer. “We help children with travel expenses, motels, lodging, utility bills, whatever the families need because normally one of the parents has to stop working while the child is sick. They lose about 40 percent of their funds.”
Since starting the non profit organization Heroes and Angels two years ago, Kenneth has logged more than 210,000 miles cycling all over the country. Bettencourt describes himself as a two-time brain cancer survivor who received a lot of support when he was sick. Now, he’s paying it forward.
After doctors told him he wasn’t allowed to drive because of epilepsy, he started biking in 1994 after his final chemo treatment and has been using his hobby to raise awareness ever since. “These are our kids. It’s our future. I ride around and I talk. I talk to the people and I try to spread as much awareness as I possibly can,” said Bettencourt.
Since beginning this year’s ride in Tuscon, Arizona on February 1st, he’s traveled 1,100 miles in just one month. Each day he rides in honor of a different child. ” I’m riding for Jason Styles. He’s from Gulfport, Mississippi. He’s a cancer patient from St. Jude’s in Houston, Texas,” said Bettencourt.”
From here, Kenneth will ride to Key West, Florida and then to Little Rock, Arkansas for a large fund raising event before heading to his home state of Rhode Island. “Let’s save the kids. The kids are our future,” said Bettencourt.