Every year, for six years now, 40 bike riders have made their way here to Anchorage from Austin, TX. The 4,500-mile ride serves as a metaphor in the battle against cancer: keep peddling the same way cancer patients have to keep fighting.

Many of our neighbors who now proudly call themselves Alaskans are former Texans. The oil industry most likely brought these UT grads here to Seawolves country. This year these "Texas-Exes" as they call themselves hope to locally grow a cancer fighting bike trek.

Inside Cathy Forester's South Anchorage living room a bunch of University Texas alums are having their annual monthly meeting.

Cathy and her husband Keith helped lead the Alaska Texas-Exes from a football watching group to what has become their signature event: meeting 40 college students at an Anchorage finish line.

Forester says, "The two of us pulled the Texas-Exes group together and said, look let's do this. Let's greet them when they come to Anchorage."

The ride starts at the University of Texas- Austin.

"At the end of the day it is about cancer," Forester says.

To compete each rider must have a cancer connection.

Forester says, "Some of the riders are cancer survivors themselves. Some of them have lost a loved one to cancer. Or maybe a loved one has survived cancer."

That is the cyclist's inspiration guiding them 4,500 miles. Some peddle from the South through Midwest. Others chose a West Coast route. All eventually

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make it through Canada Every turn of the wheel supporters cheer for them. By the time they make it to Anchorage their goal is to have raised $4,000.

"The real emotion for me every year is the kids who ride this ride every year are just so special," Forester says.

This year the Alaska Texas-Exes are trying to grow this race.

"We're going to try and encourage local biking enthusiasts to come out to Mirror Lake and greet the kids when they get there. And then bike into Anchorage. Guide them."

Guiding what started with 40. Hoping to end the race with the community riding with them to the finish line. If you ever meet an Alaska Texas-Exes they will tell you that is their defining moment.

"That turned our Alum association from a group of 5 or 6, 10 people, who would get together to watch football games, into a group who now gets together throughout the year," Forester says.

The Texas 4000 rides into Anchorage Friday, August 14. If you are interested in riding with them from Mirror Lake to Anchorage call Nicki at 273-2066.

As the riders come in they will also kick off childhood cancer awareness month. Saturday the riders will be at Mirror Lake Middle School for a fundraiser.

They will also tour the Children's Hospital, and Monday night a cancer themed movie will be shown at the Bear's Tooth Theatre. Any money you donate will stay right here in Alaska.