BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) -
Former Auburn star Bo Jackson is helping raise awareness and money for tornado damaged areas by biking 300 miles across storm-stricken cities in Alabama over five days.
He kicks off the tour with a ceremony at the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in Birmingham today at 11 a.m. Governor Robert Bentley and Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard both attended and spoke at the kickoff.
Jackson's ride will take him from northeast Alabama at Lake Guntersville State Park through Cullman, Jasper and Bessemer before ending in Tuscaloosa. His ride is scheduled for Tuesday, April 24 until Saturday, April 28.
Jackson hopes to raise $1 million with his bike ride through corporate sponsorships, private donations and participants who register to join him in the ride. Lance Armstrong and Atlanta Olympian Al Joiner will both take part in the ride.
The bikes used in the ride were custom made by a Wisconsin firm and will include the names of a tornado victim who died in the April 27 storm.
"All of those names on the bike, I didn't know the people but I know one thing: they were Alabamians," Jackson said.
Jackson says he wants to make it an annual ride, but not necessarily a 300 mile ride each year.
As of Monday, Jackson had raised more than $250,000, or 25 percent of his goal, according to his website. All funds given to Bo Bikes Bama will be donated to the Governor's Emergency Relief Fund. Jackson said even if he comes up short of his $1 million goal, at least he will have made the rest of the country aware of what happened in Alabama last April.
For more info on the ride and how to donate, visit www.bobikesbama.com.
Copyright 2012 WBRC. All rights reserved.
Bo Bikes Bama kicked off Monday morning with a news conference at the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in Birmingham.
Governor Robert Bentley spoke at the Bo Bikes Bama kickoff.
Gov. Bentley said it take a real man to ride a pink bicycle, to which Bo retorted "It does."
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