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Cyclists from throughout the region will gather for the National Kidney Foundation of Maryland’s (NKF-MD) second annual Western Maryland Kidney Ride along the Great Allegheny Passage.

Held in conjunction with Canal Fest, the event begins at Cumberland’s historic Western Maryland Railway Station on Canal Street. It will traverse the picturesque mountain trail to Frostburg and travel back to Cumberland. Along the way, NKF-MD will have three rest stops with refreshments.

“Fall is a beautiful time of year in the mountains and we invite participants of all ages to join in the fun by riding or forming a team to raise funds to make lives better for those who are battling chronic kidney disease,” said Carolyn Smith-Kennedy, the NKF-MD’s director of services for Western Maryland and the West Virginia panhandle.

NKF-MD hopes to surpass the $15,000 raised at last year’s inaugural Western Maryland Kidney Ride. This year’s registration fee is $25. Riders who raise at least $100 will receive an event T-shirt. As a special treat, the first 50 participants who raise at least $250 can ride the historic Mountain Thunder steam train to Frostburg with their bicycles and pedal back to Cumberland on the trail.

Registration starts at 9 a.m. The ride will commence at 10 a.m., following brief remarks by Casper R. Taylor, Jr. (former Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates), Cumberland Mayor Lee Fiedler and Mary Beth Perlozzi (Allegany County commissioner). The train departs at 11 a.m.

Beginning at 2 p.m., riders returning to the Western Maryland Railway Station can enjoy a live band, face painting and other children’s activities, refreshments and raffle prize giveaways.

The National Kidney Foundation of Maryland, serving central and western Maryland, the Delmarva Peninsula and portions of West Virginia, is the area’s only voluntary health agency dedicated to the prevention, treatment and cure of kidney and urinary tract diseases.