During the spring of his junior year in southeast Asia, Anish Thakkar, senior in Engineering, biked cross-country through Malaysia and Thailand. While at the University, however, Thakkar spends much of his time researching cancer.

Last semester, he and fellow students founded the Illini 4000, a student group that unites cross-country adventure and cancer research. Their goal is to raise $100,000 in funds for cancer research as they journey from New York City to San Diego.

The advances in cancer research being made over the past 40 years have been amazing, but the rate of advancement has sloped off from depleting funds, Thakkar said. The Illini 4000 hope to alleviate the depletion, although the financial aspect is not the group’s only goal.

“In academic research, you don’t really see the human side of things,” Thakkar said. This trip will provide that human side for the cyclists, he added.

The group will be raising money for the American Cancer Society and fund a program called “Jump, Draw, and Shout!,” which will provide youths undergoing cancer treatment a chance to share their personal stories with others.

Money will also be donated to Camp Kesem (Hebrew for “hope”), a center for children whose parents are undergoing cancer treatment. These camps are mainly held at universities during the summer, Thakkar said. Because there is not one at the University, the group would contribute to the funding of one. A Camp Kesem at the University would make these services more available to the rural community, he added.

The distance covered in the trip is the groups namesake, as they will cover 4000 miles from New York City on May 25 to San Diego on Aug 2.

Illini 4000 was inspired by the “Hopkins 4K for Cancer” at Johns Hopkins University, and the “Texas 4000” at the University of Texas, which journeys from Austin to Anchorage.

“(Biking cross country) is such a powerful idea; it is bound to grab a lot of attention,” said Nick Ludmer, junior in LAS. “I hope to help out in whatever way I can.”

Daily life for the cyclists will begin at 6:00 a.m., biking until 3:00 p.m. The team will cover between 70 and 100 miles per day. Aside from their bikes, they will make their home at camp grounds, churches and other community centers.

Ludmer said that he has done a fair amount of cycling but never to this extent.

“The longest trip I’ve ever made was 75 miles in a day,” Ludmer said. “And that’s going to be our average,”

James Ballard, senior in LAS, said he has been involved in endurance athletics since high school, and he is very excited by the opportunity to make a journey for a good cause.

Even though the trip will obviously be rigorous, he said he thinks the trip will be quite feasible. Thakkar added the trip will be very segmented, especially in the beginning, as they stop at schools and hospitals in order to raise cancer awareness.

“I expect the first week to be pure excitement and energy, and then the grueling reality will set in,” Ludmer said. “But after the first three weeks, you’ll get used to it.”

The group’s goal of $100,000 is indeed ambitious, Thakkar said. Each of the 25 accepted cyclists will be responsible for raising $2,000 in pledge funds totaling $50,000.

The deadline for cyclist applications is Feb. 5.

Corporate sponsors and individual donations will contribute the remaining funds.

“Doing something like raising $100,000 may seem too big,” Ballard said. “But it’s not, as long as you’re passionate about it,”