News Photo by Julie Goldberg Kyle Bailey is seen here on his bike on Monday at Harborside Cycle in Alpena, where Bailey had a new front axle installed. Bailey is biking from Mackinaw City to Port Huron this week to raise awareness for organ donations.

ALPENA — The Michigan man who is biking from Mackinaw City to Port Huron to raise awareness of the importance of organ donations made a stop in Alpena on Monday.

Kyle Bailey, 34, of Port Huron, is a quadruple organ transplant recipient and is biking 352 miles along the Sunrise Side of the state this week.

He stopped in Alpena on Monday after biking 39 miles from Rogers City. He said the ride has been going well, though he has had to fight through some wind.

“I’ve got a great attitude and, hopefully, I’m touching some lives,” Bailey said. “It’s really not about me bicycling. It’s about the awareness.”

Bailey’s bike ride started on Sunday in Mackinaw City and will continue today with 61 miles to East Tawas. The ride will then continue throughout the week, with stops in Pinconning, Cass City, and Port Sanilac. His ride will end in Port Huron at the Blue Water Bridge on Saturday.

Bailey said 67% of Michiganders are registered organ donors, and he wants to keep raising that percentage. He said he’s been talking to people every chance he gets to see if they’re organ donors, including waitresses at restaurants, the workers at Subway, the people he runs into in elevators at hotels, and people at roadside parks when he has taken breaks throughout the ride.

“It’s been real nice, and it’s amazing how much organ donation affects everyday life,” Bailey said. “Everyone knows somebody or someone who has some unfortunate illness that will cause organ donations, so I’m just trying to show how much good it will do.”

Bailey was the recipient of a double lung transplant in 2011 and then a kidney and liver transplant in 2016.

People can follow Bailey throughout his bike ride at the Kyle Bailey Foundation on Facebook. People can also visit registerme.org/recyclelife to find out more information about becoming an organ donor.

“I’m going to enjoy my night’s sleep,” Bailey said Monday. “I’m happy to be here in Alpena.”

Julie Goldberg can be reached at 989-358-5688 or jgoldberg@thealpenanews.com. Follow her on Twitter @jkgoldberg12.