PETERSBURG, Va. (WRIC) — Raising awareness for sickle cell anemia and raising funds for programs that assist people living with the disease, the Sickle Cell Bike Committee took to the streets for the 13th annual Unity Ride 4 Sickle Cell.
The ride was from the Zion Baptist Church in Petersburg to Second Baptist Church in Richmond. The fee for each participant was $30, which will benefit the MCV Foundation and sickle cell charities.
According to the Virginia Department of Health, sickle call disease affects roughly 90,000 to 100,000 Americans. Sickle cell disease affects Black people at an especially high rate. According to the VDH, 1 in 12 Black Virginians carry the sickle cell trait.
