Twin brothers ride in Pelotonia for their best friend and 'Clubhouse' lead singer

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Among the thousands of riders took to the streets of Columbus Saturday morning for the 17th annual Pelotonia Ride Weekend, all united by a mission to end cancer, were a pair of twin brothers whose lives were changed in the last year.

The band 'Clubhouse' was the headliner act for last year's opening ceremony. Pataskala-born twin brothers Ari and Zak Blumer formed the band with their lead singer and childhood best friend, Max Reichert, when they were college students at Ohio University.

This year, they ride in memory of Reichert, who lost his battle to cancer shortly after that performance. Now, the cause has taken on an even deeper meaning for the brothers. 

"That cancer research portion of it feels really good and Max had a long stint of his treatment at the James, which is basically where this money is going directly towards. And we had such a good experience there and the doctors and nurses and everyone was just so amazing there," Zak Blumer said.

The group first got introduced to Pelotonia in 2017, when they performed at one of the finish lines. Just a year later, Reichert was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. He died from the disease last November after a six-year battle.

Now the Blumer twins are committed to making sure his memory and spirit live on. They said since Reichert died, they've wanted to do what they can to raise awareness in his name. 

The brothers describe Reichert as the kind of guy who would get chemotherapy one day and be in the studio with them the next, making music. They said his cancer diagnosis was the first time the disease had impacted them so closely, flipping their lives upside down. According to the brothers, losing Reichert has changed their views on life and what they should prioritize.

"The answer was always, 'okay, while we're here, we're going to do what we love'. And that was, and is, music," Ari Blumer said. "So we let it be a reminder to us to just go after things and to keep pushing."

The brothers have worked with Pelotonia to create a fund in Reichert's name that goes directly toward osteosarcoma research. They rode 24 miles Saturday for their best friend along with friends and family.