A Great Falls man has helped raise more than $12,000 for Special Olympics Montana by pledging to ride 100 miles on his bike.

61-year-old Dean Nelson rode the first 70 miles last week and he'll ride the last thirty miles Tuesday (5/12) as part of the torch run to start the summer games on Wednesday in Bozeman.

Nelson, who is a member of the Special Olympics Montana Board of Directors, says one of the athletes encouraged him to join in the law enforcement torch run which carries the Flame of Hope each year to the site of the games. But because he knew his advanced age would keep him from running a great distance he decided to ride a bike instead. Nelson says he hired a personal trainer to help him get in shape and he asked 100 friends to donate $100 each for his ride.

Nelson says that unfortunately funding issues keep some from participating in the Special Olympics and he hopes his fundraising efforts will help more athletes get involved.

"There are lots of people that would be able to be involved in Special Olympics that aren't currently," said Nelson. "We don't have the kind of funding we need in order to have a broader outreach to include more people."

The first leg of Nelson's ride was from the Valier exit of I-15 to Great Falls. He will complete the 100 mile journey by biking from Three Forks to Bozeman.