Joey Badinger 

My name is Joey Badinger. I'm from Oldham county Kentucky but I also classify Minnesota as home. I'm a junior at Western Kentucky University and an Exercise Science major. 

The reason that I'm going on this cross country bike trip is because I'm riding for my step grandpa and my grandma. Even though Leo wasn't technically blood related I still classified him as my grandpa. He was always helpful and loving to my cousins and I. It was also very evident how much joy he brought me grandma. It was really hard for everyone and I can't even begin to imagine how hard it was for my grandma when Leo had to be put into a nursing home due to Alzheimer's.  Watching someone's memory fade is a painful thing to see especially when you were in some of those memories. I would hate for anyone else to ever have to go through this. That is why I want to be apart of something greater than myself, that it why I want to help find a cure for this horrendous disease.