OLD ORCHARD BEACH — About 1,100 bicyclists will descend through town on Saturday morning for the New England Parkinson’s Ride.

Edna and Bob Woods of Merrimack, New Hampshire, started the annual bicycle ride in 2008. They started it in honor of their son Chris, an avid cyclist who at the age of 41 was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, a disorder of the central nervous system that controls movement.

The ride has become the biggest fundraising event for the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which raises money for research to find a cure for Parkinson’s Disease.

“It’s a pretty spectacular event that’s here in Old Orchard Beach,” said Town Manager Larry Mead at Tuesday’s Town Council meeting.

The ride begins and ends at The Ballpark, and participants can choose from a 10-, 30-, 50- or 100-mile route. The longest ride takes off first at 7:30 a.m. Residents are welcome to come and cheer riders on, said ride Director Cindy Woods Therberge.

The ride has raised $800,000 so far this year, said Therberge on Thursday. She said fundraising continues until the end of the year and the goal is to raise $1 million. Prior to this year’s event, the effort has raised more than $3.3 million from 2008 to 2017.

Cyclists are coming from 24 states ,as far away as Texas and California and from three provinces in Canada, Therberge said.

There are also “virtual cyclists” who ride in their hometown from as far away as New Zealand, she said.

“This year’s ride will be in memory of our co-founder, my dad, who passed in December. He was our official ride starter for the past 10 years,” she said.

The ride colors this year will red, white and blue instead of the traditional blue and orange in honor of Bob Woods, who served 25 years in the U.S. Army.

For more information on the event, go to www.neparkinsonsride.com.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.