Former Delaware Governor To Ride Cross Country For Charity

WILMINGTON, DE (CBS) -- The former Governor of Delaware has a new mission in mind. Riding a bike from coast to coast in the name of charity.

At first, 56-year-old Jack Markell, who just left office in January, wanted to take something off his bucket list. Then he got to thinking.

"When I realized I had an opportunity to raise money for a number of great Delaware organizations, I thought 'Boy. What a great opportunity that is,'" Markell told KYW Newsradio. "So I'm excited about it."

And he's getting ready for the 50 day, 3600+ mile trek that starts June 18th in Astoria, Oregon and ends August 8th on the boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Where else?

"I rode with some friends from Wilmington to Washington D.C. as part of my training," Markell added. "It's a lot of riding and hopefully by the time I start I'll be in decent shape."

Seven non-profits will benefit from donations raised through Motivate The First State, a group started during Markell's tenure as Governor to get people healthier and more involved in charitable efforts within the state.

The former Governor says his wife supports the effort and plans to be on hand when he starts the journey out west, when he gets back to Delaware, and maybe somewhere in the middle.

If you'd like to make a donation to the effort, go to http://bit.ly/givetojackchallenge.