EVERETT — Electric Bike cyclist Paul Zuanich, a member of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), is undertaking a 30-day, 1,750-mile electric bicycle journey from Bellingham to Southern California.
His mission: to raise awareness and support for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding childhood cancer research and supporting families affected by cancer.
“The ILWU Walk the Coast fundraiser for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation was initiated with three primary purposes: to do something good for someone in need, to unite the ILWU locals and to demonstrate that organized labor cares about giving back to the community,” said Zuanich, who lives in Huntington Beach, California.
He was scheduled to begin the trip this week. Zuanich’s route includes stops at every ILWU port along the West Coast. After colleagues wish him well at the Peace Park at the edge of Canada, he will make a stop in Everett on Friday, June 6 before continuing through key union port cities including Seattle, Tacoma, Portland, San Francisco, Stockton, and more.
The ride “will take approximately 31 days to cover around 2,000 miles,” said Zuanich.
There will be a reception at ILWU Local 32 Everett’s hall, 1016 Hewitt Ave., where Zuanich will be greeted by members and others from the community. They are expecting a good turnout.
He’ll leave the next morning for his next leg, an 85-mile ride to Port Angeles’s port.
“The International Longshore and Warehouse Union has been raising money to support Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation since 2012. We’ve raised over $1.3 million. Paul’s amazing ride is bringing awareness to the need to fund childhood cancer research,” said Dan Imbagliazzo, chairman of ILWU Walk the Coast, the union’s fundraising committee.
Zuanich’s ride will finish in San Pedro, California, in greater Los Angeles where he will join the annual Bloody Thursday Memorial Picnic on July 5 — a tribute to the workers lost during the 1934 West Coast Waterfront Strike.
To see when Zuanich will be in your city, or give support, go to www.ilwuwalkthecoast.org
