NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – Six cyclists finished a 100 mile journey on Friday afternoon. The goal of the ride was to raise money and awareness for children and families battling pediatric cancer.

100 miles on a bike is not an easy feat, but the ride wasn’t about the distance, it was about kids fighting the toughest battles of their lives.

“These families are sometimes in the worst moments of their life and it’s very hard to find a positive,” said Eric Newman, who founded Roc Solid, the organization that planned the ride.

Newman is a childhood cancer survivor. He says he wanted to do something to bring more awareness and support to kids who are in the spot he was in 27 years ago.

“If we can allow them to escape the current reality of what they’re living in just for 30 seconds, then we’ve done our job,” said Newman.

On Friday afternoon, six cyclists finished the 100-mile inaugural “Rock the Ride.” They traveled from Richmond to Norfolk. During the last mile, they were joined by pediatric cancer patients and their families.

“You become part of this community that you wish you were never a part of. But we give each other support,” said Amy Jebson.

Amy and her son Andrew biked in the last mile of the ride. Andrew is 9-years-old and almost one year into his treatment of t-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Andrew’s parents, Amy and Lee, were already volunteers with Roc Solid before he was diagnosed. They say the organization has given them a community they could turn to.

“Sometimes people are placed in your life for things that are coming and we’re just grateful,” said Amy.

Volunteers at the ride say the last mile stretch shows just how much support these families have, and how inspiring the kids can be.

“That just shows the passion and the resiliency of these kids. That nothing’s going to stop them and having the families out there today definitely proved it,” said Newman.

For more information on Roc Solid, visit their website.