At 7:30 a.m. this morning, five riders set out from Raleigh. Their destination: Washington, North Carolina, and Easter Seals/UCP’s Ride Without Limits slated for the weekend.

The five cyclists — Jim Krug, 13-year-old Alex Casper and his father Jim, Scott Winter, Ryan Hayden — will start at the Easter Seals/UCP Children’s Center in Raleigh, stop for a visit at the Children’s Center in Greenville, before arriving on the Washington waterfront at the corner of Stewart Parkway and Respess Streets, likely between 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. By then, these riders will already be 100 miles up on the other 200 cyclists pouring into town to participate in Ride Without Limits, an annual Easter Seals/UCP fundraiser that has recently relocated to Washington.

According to Patrick Curran, the idea to blaze a trail from Raleigh to Washington, and shine a little more light on the fundraising event, came from Jim Krug, a man who reinvented his life after doctors told him to do something about his health — or else. Krug became an avid biker, riding in ever-challenging events over the years, but it was participating with many people with disabilities at Ride Without Limits events that inspired his own road to health and advocacy for the organization.

“His love for cycling has combined with his desire to do something impactful for the people who were motivating him and challenging him,” Curran said. “He’s looking for a personal way to make this move (of RWL to Washington) big.”

Curran said the move of Ride Without Limits to Washington is one way to keep the event fresh for its riders.

“The opportunity to move Ride Without Limits to Washington allows our event to accommodate more riders, offer better route options with beautiful coastal scenery and take advantage of local attractions for non-riders who come to support and volunteer,” Curran said.

The ride brings people of all physical abilities together, from experienced cyclists to those for whom riding a mile is a major achievement, according to Curran. It’s a major fundraiser for the organization: one team participating this weekend has raised $30,000 on its own; several others have raised between $3,000 and $10,000; and every individual cyclist taking part has pledged at least $250, but many have raised much more, he added.

Curran said the goal isn’t just about fundraising, however: It’s about creating partnerships with the community and people with disabilities, right here in Washington. To that end, Flanders Filters has come on as a local sponsor, providing not only financial support but as many as 50 volunteers and riders for the event, Curran said.

And the public is invited to all, from the welcome of the five riders from Raleigh today, to the opening ceremony at 7:30 a.m. and race start at 8 a.m. Saturday, to the 7 p.m. celebration that night and live music from the Raleigh-based rock band, Chris Hendricks Band, from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. that night, all of which share the message that those with disabilities don’t allow those disabilities to define them—they are truly without limits, Curran explained.

Ride Without Limits may be trying Washington on for size, but it seems to be a good fit: “We would like this to be the home for Ride Without Limits for many years to come,” Curran said.

For more information about Ride Without Limits, visit www.ridewithoutlimits.org or visit the corner of Respess Street and Stewart Parkway on the Washington waterfront in person from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday. Sunday, riders begin at 8 a.m.