66-year-old to bike 150 miles in one day for charity

CENTRE COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — A 66-year-old, Boalsburg resident is biking 150 miles in one day for the 10th year in a row. He’s doing it all while raising awareness for mental health.

Marc Warren will be biking the Great Allegheny Passage; starting in Pittsburgh, Pa. and ending in Cumberland, Maryland.

He started this tradition with his daughter in 2013. Now, he chooses a different organization or cause to raise money for each year.

For the second consecutive year, Warren’s charity ride organization is the Jana Marie Foundation.

“I want to do the ride because I love the challenge of it but it just motivates me more knowing that I’m raising money for such a really significant nonprofit,” Warren said.

According to organizers at the nonprofit, the Jana Marie Foundation has devoted its energy to opening minds and saving lives through educational programming and community mobilization to empower young people in the Centre County region. 

“Jana Marie Foundation relies heavily on donations from generous individuals like Marc, to do the work that we do,” Officer Manager Hannah Brewster said. “We never want cost to be a barrier for accessing our programs so we do offer everything free for children to attend.”

Warren said he chose to focus the most recent two rides on advocating for mental health because of the impact it’s had on people in his own life.

“My mom would threaten suicide and I didn’t realize that impacted me as much as it did,” Warren said. “If any of the youth that Jana Marie is working with, they may be in the same boat and to be able to talk about it I think is so healthy.”

Warren said he’s almost at his goal to raise $5,000 for the foundation this year. He’s set to take his ride on July 11.

If you would like to donate to Marc’s “Ride for Hope,” you can do so here.