Lauren Reuteler/Winonan

While most freshly graduated students plan to either relax during the summer months or search for jobs, Winona State University graduate Michelle Johannsen will participate in running 4,000 miles across the country with the 4K for Cancer organization, hosted by the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults.

Johannsen began her running career during her senior year in high school and has completed two marathons along with numerous 5K, 8K and 10K races since.

She found 4K for Cancer while browsing online for races in which she could partake.

“At first I thought it meant four kilometers, but when I looked into it more, I saw that it was 4,000 and became really interested,” Johannsen said.

The 4K for Cancer running team consists of 30 people who were required to go through an application process and invited back to be a part of the run.

They will begin their 4,000-mile journey in San Francisco and finish in Baltimore, running from city to city over a 42-day span.

Each runner will complete 8 to 15 miles per day in two-mile increments and overall the team will run an average of 100 miles each day.

Every three to five days, the runners receive a rest day where they will do service projects such as awarding scholarships to students who are fighting cancer as well as giving patients chemo goodie bags.

“Its fun to be able to see the people you’re helping because a lot of times you just send your money away without knowing what happens to it,” Johannsen said.

Each runner must raise a minimum of $4,500 by May to complete the race. Johannsen has already raised $1,429.09 and continues to work hard for donations through her high school and church fundraisers.

Of the money raised, 85 percent of the money goes directly to the organization while the other 15 percent goes to the participant’s travel costs.

“We work really hard to spend as little money as possible so more money could be put toward the donation process, and that’s what really drew me to the organization,” Johannsen said.

To lower the cost of travel, the team has made prior arrangements with the cities they are staying in to spend nights camping or sleeping on the floors of churches, gyms or YMCAs.

“We aren’t a cancer research foundation. We are a support foundation for young adults who are trying to tackle cancer on their own while trying to start their life,” Johannsen said.