WKU News

Imagine riding your bike an average of 80 miles a day for a 3,600-mile trek across the country.

It’s that time of year for Bike4Alz, the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity fundraiser that’s netted $600,000 for Alzheimer’s research since the inaugural ride in 2010.

One of this year’s riders has the unique experience of his two older brothers having gone before him.

WKU’s Amy Bingham talks to all three of them in this week’s View from the Hill.

By summer’s end, these three brothers from Bowling Green will share a unique bond.

“We are the first set of three brothers to do the ride.”

All three will have biked across the country with their fraternity to raise money for Alzheimer’s.

“So that’s a pretty unique experience to share between all three of us.”

It was Jacob who started the family tradition with the 2019 team. He says it’s a cause that hits close to home.

“Our mom’s grandfather had Alzheimer’s and we never got to meet him but she always talked about how it was, you know, you lose them slowly.”

Will was a part of last year’s team and calls it a life-changing experience.

“I’ve always been a BG boy, all of us have and never really left without each other or people that we’re really close to so we had to grow up real quick.”

Next week, it’s Luke’s turn to hit the road.

“Now I’m getting more nervous. I’m gonna be biking on the road where there’s cars driving past me going 55 miles per hour plus.”

So how are the Howard’s parents handling yet another tense summer?

“If they’re not freaked out about us two, they are definitely freaked out about him because he is the baby.”

Will says by now his parents are used to phone calls home being hit or miss.

“After Jacob they understood that so I didn’t have as much of a problem with them being extra nervous about me being OK.”

Luke says he wasn’t paying very close attention back when Jacob first started this journey.

“I was in high school and kind of oblivious. I knew Jacob was off to college. I heard he was biking across the country and I was like, no he’s not. I didn’t believe you, like you’re lying.”

Luke was able to attend both Bike4Alz Kentucky stops and also witnessed the team make their ceremonial dip in the Atlantic Ocean at the end of the trip.

“They were all so happy to see the east coast, see the ocean there and they all just took off running or going crazy. It was cool to see.”

So cool that both brothers decided to follow in Jacob’s footsteps and definitely looked to him for advice. “I told them I said, you’ll hit every emotion. You’ll be happy, you’ll be sad, you’ll be hot, you’ll be cold. Everything just hits you and every day is different, that’s very for sure.”

“One hundred percent I’m glad where I am, I’m glad where they ended up and I’m glad he ended up here to influence me so I could influence him to be here.”

Luke Howard and the rest of Team 11 will depart for San Francisco on May 16 and will arrive at Virginia Beach on July 27.  There will be a big Bowling Green event to welcome them to town on July 8 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the SOKY Marketplace. If you would like to donate to Bike4Alz, you can do so at www.Bike4Alz.org.

• More: Read more from WKU News about the Howard brothers.