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By JOYANNA LOVE/ Managing Editor

Alabama Power’s Power Pedalers bicyclists group will host its 2021 The Dam Ride on April 16.

The ride starts at the Alabama Power headquarters building in Birmingham at 9 a.m. and takes a back-roads route to the Lay Lake Dam.

Jim Heilbron, Alabama Power senior production officer, said the Power Pedalers formed as a group of employees who were cycling enthusiasts looking for a way to benefit others.

“We decided that we wanted to create a ride to get the cycling year started off and maybe raise a few dollars for something that we have grown passionate about, which is the MS Society,” Jim Heilbron said. “We have become very good friends with the leadership, and they are a great organization trying to improve life for people who have this terrible disease.”

According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, “Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body.”

There is still time to register. Registration can be completed at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2021-the-dam-ride-presented-by-alabama-power-tickets-144034935369.

Registration is $55.

“Participants will receive an event t-shirt, commemorative swag bag, food and beverages during the event, and a shuttle back to Birmingham,” according to the event page.

Funds are raised through sponsorships and donations.

Heilbron said the event helps raise awareness for the condition and to encourage bicyclists to participate in other fundraisers throughout the year that raise more money for the MS Society and other good organizations.

Heilbron has enjoyed the ride as a way to make his hobby of cycling about more than just his own enjoyment.

He is now on the board of trustees for the Alabama-Mississippi-Louisiana Chapter of the MS Society.