With every push, every twist, and every turn, they hope to make strides in the fight against cancer.

As evidenced by their 560-mile bicycle excursion from Portland, Maine, to Palmerton, they're willing to go great lengths to do so.In the midst of a six-day ride around the border of Pennsylvania, a group of about 70 individuals, along with 12 support people, have been on the road as part of the Pennsylvania Perimeter Ride Against Cancer.The group left from Portland, Maine, on Monday, and is expected to return to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Palmerton by 4 p.m. Saturday. Once they arrive, the group will be greeted with a Welcome Home Reception, followed by a dinner.A kickoff service was held at the church this past Sunday, at which point the group left for Portland, according to the Rev. Paul Schoffstall, of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church.Schoffstall said this year's event marks the 11th time the church has hosted the ride since he became pastor of the church in 1993. He noted this year is the 16th ride, as it occurs every other year."The PPRAC requested to have Holy Trinity as their home site, and we agreed," Schoffstall said. "It is a great marriage."Schoffstall added "the congregation's been very supportive, the facilities are great, Palmerton is great, and the community support's been great."The ride is "greatly respected" beyond the borders of Palmerton, Schoffstall said."It's truly one of the better bike rides in the country, in terms of its cause and its purpose, and also the way it's conducted," he said. "It's truly a magnificent event."Schoffstall said the group has raised nearly $200,000, which would far eclipse its original goal of $150,000. Of that, 85-percent is donated to the Lehigh Valley Unit of the American Cancer Society, with the other 15-percent donated to Dream Come True.The group began its ride back to Palmerton this past Monday, at which time it rode 115 miles. On Tuesday, they rode 95 more miles, followed by another 85 miles on Wednesday. The group will ride over the highest point in New Hampshire and New Jersey as part of their travels.The PPRAC was organized in 1983 by Bob Freed, an Allentown schoolteacher, in response to the cancer deaths of two family members and a friend.The original PPRAC, a 10-day journey covering 1,000 miles around the border of Pennsylvania, was completed by 22 riders and raised much-needed funds for the American Cancer Society.Since then, subsequent six-day rides have been completed every other year. Each ride covered about 500 miles by 25 to 60 riders who not only raised funds for the American Cancer Society, but also donated to Dream Come True, a support organization for terminally and seriously ill children.To date, the PPRAC has raised over a million dollars to help fight cancer in the Lehigh Valley Community.