MARIETTA - On Saturday, Tommy Foster of Marietta will ride his bicycle for 24 hours at Marietta High School's track at 1171 Whitlock Ave. to raise money in the fight against cancer.

Foster, 47, plans to start riding at 3 p.m. and end at 3 p.m. Sunday. In the process, he hopes the public will come out and show their support by helping him raise $10,000 for cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong's nonprofit Lance Armstrong Foundation.

With a donation, visitors will be allowed to place a balloon in honor of someone around the track.

The longest Foster has ever rode a bicycle is for seven hours, he said. However, he plans to rest this weekend during periodic intervals. The task is daunting but doable, he believes.

"It's not impossible. It's just whether or not you get lucky and you don't have cramps or whatever," Foster said. "I'm not going to try to set any speed records either. It's just a matter of keeping the pedals moving and letting people know that I'm out here."

Foster is raising the money as a participant of the LIVESTRONG Challenge Series, a fundraising event in which participants walk, run or ride their bicycles that has raised more than $60 million in the past 13 years to fight cancer, according to LIVESTRONG.org. Foster will be cycling in Philadelphia when the four-city tour stops there Aug. 21-22.

Like millions of others, Foster has known someone close to him who has suffered from cancer. His grandfather, Roy Shields, died of prostate cancer in the early 1990s. His father-in-law, Ken Kiesler, is a kidney cancer survivor.

"You don't have to look very far to find someone that's struggling with cancer and families that are affected by cancer," he said. "What's neat about LIVESTRONG is not only do they fund research to find cures, but they have a strong focus on helping people and families live life on their own terms."

Foster and his wife, Jennifer, a teacher, have three college-age children. The 5-foot-6 Equifax sales analyst said he took up cycling a year ago to lose weight. At 180 pounds, he was technically obese. Since then, he has lost 25 pounds. Typically, Foster rides every other day for about 48 miles with a group of cyclists. The Silver Comet Trail is a favorite locale.

Carey Cox, 40, of Marietta, has been a cycling buddy of Foster's on the Silver Comet Trail. He said it has been inspirational seeing Foster actively become involve in the cancer fight through his website and social media network.

"He's very focused and very dedicated to the sport in what he is doing," Cox said.

To donate or find more information about Tommy Foster's 24-hour LIVESTRONG ride, visit www.24hoursfor livestrong.com.