CENTENNIAL, Colo. -- It's been more than a year since a beloved doctor was killed during a shooting spree in Centennial, and two of his best friends are riding cross-country to raise awareness of his foundation and honor his memory.
Dr. Kenneth Atkinson and his wife lost their two children -- both teenagers -- to Fanconi anemia, a rare genetic disease that affects the bone marrow.
In 2004, the Atkinson family started the Kendall and Taylor Atkinson Foundation, or KATA, in their honor.
But in less than week, two of his best friends will ride across the country raising awareness for the KATA Foundation -- all to honor a friend and his children, all of whom had their lives cut short too soon.
To learn more about their ride for awareness as well as their route, click here and watch the video above.
Atkinson, a family doctor in Centennial and a graduate of the University of Colorado-Denver's medical school, was shot while trying to save his neighbor, Elizabeth Lyons, on April 4, 2016.
The suspect in the shooting, pled guilty to several charges in connection with the case. He will be sentenced on June 5.