Cyclist heading off on another ride for charity at 81

A Yuma cyclist who has already pedaled thousands of miles to raise money for the Crossroad Mission is about to embark on another long-distance, fundraising bike trip.

Cyclist Bill Anderson plans to celebrate his 81st birthday by riding his bike along the perimeter of the state of Arizona — a trip of approximately 2,000 miles.

"I'm going as far as I can go on any road that doesn't take me out of the state," said Anderson, who plans to leave Yuma on Tuesday.

Anderson, who has already pedaled from coast-to-coast and from the U.S.-Mexico border to the U.S.-Canada border, said he expects this to be his toughest ride yet due to all the steep hills on his route.

"While I'm good on hills, I've forgotten how steep some of them are," Anderson said.

Anderson said he hopes to complete the trip in about 14 to 16 days and that he will be doing most of his riding at night to avoid the daytime triple-digit heat.

Accompanying Anderson on his trip will be driver Kevin McEwen, who is a bicycle mechanic and works for Johnny Yuma's Bicycles.

With Tuesday's temperature expected to reach 109, Anderson said he is planning on leaving Yuma around 5 p.m. from the city limits sign at Pacific Avenue and Highway 95.

From Yuma, Anderson will ride north toward Parker.

Anderson said he is riding to raise awareness of hunger and homelessness and is hoping that people will support his trip by donating 10 cents to the mission for every mile he rides.

"When I was a young boy, I went hungry and was nearly homeless. I remember many a night only having milk and cornbread to eat," he said.