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Trek Across Maine Gets Rolling for 25th Year

June 24, 2009 - NEWRY -- Ken Bell takes cycling seriously. He has ridden among the towering peaks of Montana's Rocky Mountains and the crowded concrete jungle of New York City's five boroughs.

But when it comes to the annual Trek Across Maine, a three-day, 180-mile bicycle ride from Sunday River to Belfast on Penobscot Bay, the weekend is about connecting with other riders, taking in scenery and raising money for a good cause, Bell said.

Today marks the 25th anniversary of Trek Across Maine, a fundraiser for the American Lung Association of Maine. Money is raised through corporate sponsors and pledges brought in by the riders, with the funds going toward research and advocacy efforts connected with lung disease and clean air.

Scott Cowger of Hallowell has ridden in the event since its beginning. He was 24 years old in the summer of 1984, and there were a few more than 100 riders, he said. They were equipped with "a map and told, 'See you at the end,"' he said.

Since then, the numbers have grown to 2,600, and the riders are raising more than $1 million through corporate sponsorships and pledges.

Eight people – seven riders and one volunteer – have been a part of every trek.

"It is the one commitment I have every year that takes precedence above everything else," Cowger said. "It is always set in stone."

Both Cowger and Bell remember when the trek was rustic. Riders were lucky if they broke down near the sole mechanic on the route. Meals were out of pocket, and the nightly accommodations were "not fancy, to say the least," Bell said.

Twenty-five years later, rest stops stocked with snacks and bottles of water are at 15-mile intervals. Bike mechanics are at every rest stop.

Bell has ridden the 180-mile route for 23 years, and volunteered the first year of the ride. Like Cowger, Trek Across Maine is more than just tradition for Bell – it's a part of life during the summer.

"For those of us who've been doing the trek for a long time, this ride means something to us," Bell said. "We get very attached to it."

As a former ambulance attendant, Bell remembers transporting premature babies to Portland for treatment because their lungs collapsed. Seeing the work of the American Lung Association "has really stuck with me."

"When you physically, actually see where your money and energy goes, that means something to you," Bell said.

Such a bond connects all 2,600 riders, Cowger said.

"It's like a big family reunion every year," he said. "After 25 years, you start making connections with people."

Many trekkers ride as part of a team that seeks out business sponsorship.

By MEGHAN V. MALLOY, Kennebec Journal, June 19, 2009


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Regions: Sebago, Belgrade, Rangeley, Mid Coast


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