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HOUGHTON - Riding a unicycle on flat ground is difficult enough, and riding up and down hills is an extreme challenge, but three friends are planning to do just that next month in an effort to raise money for two boys who have leukemia.

Bob Evans of the Dollar Bay area, and Jason Cattelino and Ben Bachran, both of Houghton, will ride from Houghton to Marquette beginning Aug. 13 and hopefully arriving Aug. 17.

The three unicyclists are riding to raise money to help offset the costs of treatments for 9-year-old Dustin Burkman and 10-year-old David Gockenbach.

Cattelino said he knows David, who is from Ethiopia and was adopted by Mark and Joan Gockenbach of Houghton, and a friend of Evans knows Dustin, who lives in Marquette.

"We always wanted to do something (for the boys)," Cattelino said. "(Then) we got very interested in unicycling."

Since David lives in Houghton and Dustin lives in Marquette, Evans said the three riders decided to do something to connect the two communities.

"We thought it would be a good long ride for us," he said.

The ride is called "100 Miles for 2 Big Smiles."

Cattelino said he met Evans about one year ago, and they've both known Bachran for years. They're all relative rookies as unicycle riders.

"I learned to ride in October," Evans said.

Bachran said he learned to ride in March, and Cattelino is the veteran, having learned two years ago.

"We're all better jugglers than unicyclists," Evans said.

Because of that, Evans said the three will be stopping along the U.S. Highway 41 route to Marquette to give juggling exhibitions, also as a fundraising effort.

Evans said besides seeking donations from individuals, the three riders are trying to line up business sponsors, whose company names will be printed onto jerseys they'll wear on the ride.

Evans said one of those corporate sponsors, Applebee's restaurants, has given them gift cards for meals. They won't have to worry about getting a good night's sleep, either.

"We've had hotels donate rooms all along the way," he said.

Jason said David received his last chemotherapy treatment Wednesday, and he's scheduled to have bone marrow transplant surgery today.

Evans said Dustin receives his chemotherapy in Wisconsin.

"He's taking trips to Green Bay once a week," he said.

Because of his illness, Evans said Dustin will have to repeat a grade in school.

"He couldn't finish fourth grade, which really disappointed him," Evans said.

Dustin has been unable to participate in many of the things that young children do, also, and that makes him sad.

Evans said since it's impossible to coast, or freewheel, on unicycles, he and his riding companions realize they probably will have to get off and walk when they need to go down hills. They may not be able to ride all the uphills, either. Because of that, they will have support vehicles following them the whole way to Marquette.

"We've got it down to 17 hours of actual riding," Evans said.

Even on level ground, Cattelino said they won't be riding very fast.

"You can't go faster than a slow jog," he said.

Despite the difficulties they'll face on the ride, Evans it's nothing compared to what David and Dustin are going through.

The three riders have collected about $2,000 from individuals, but Cattelino said they're trying to get business sponsors.

"That's our main focus now," he said.

Evans said they're looking for corporate donations from $50 to $300.

Much of the work for organizing the ride has come from the riders' family and friends, Evans said, and it's been very valuable.

"Once we got into this, it turned into a bigger event than we had planned," he said. "We're just going with it."

Kurt Hauglie can be reached at khauglie@mininggazette.com