About 80 cyclists will partake of a kickoff banquet Oct. 4 at the Carnegie Hotel in  Johnson City, departing that town 7 a.m. Oct 5 and traveling about 112 miles before arriving at the Alcoa Muncipal Building around 5 p.m.

Unlike other such rides, the Tennessee Adoption Tour is not a fund-raising event, but the goal is to raise an awareness. “The need for these children is not money — there’s plenty of foundations to help the kids — it’s getting the families to adopt the kids,” said Tour Director Jesse O’Hatnick.

Jim Norwood, of Harmony Adoptions, told Alcoa Kiwanis this week that the tour started five years ago with five riders and no sponsor. Today, there are a host of sponsors and riders are coming from seven other states and they all have a direct connection to adoption, either professionally or personally, Norwood said.

To find out more about the tour and how you can help someone make “A Journey Home,” go to www.adoptiontour.org.