FARMINGTON — Kim Spectre, her husband, Nathan, and their 9-year-old son, Sam, did what many families do on a Friday evening. They went to McDonald’s for a burger.

They just finished an unusually tough day in the hot sun. Sam and his dad had ridden their bicycles 60 miles from Bethel to Farmington as part of the first leg of the annual Trek Across Maine fundraising tour for the American Lung Association. Sam had raised $400 and his dad had raised $500 for their pledged contributions, and they both agreed it was something they plan to do again.

“I just asked my friends and teachers and people we know, and they all gave me a few dollars,” Sam said, as he munched on his meal.

Kim has ridden in past years, but this year, the family drove from their home in Searsmont to Sunday River Ski Resort in Bethel, and she joined the volunteers, handing out water and snacks to the bicyclists along the way.

On Saturday morning at 7 a.m., cyclists will start the next leg of the journey, reaching Colby College in Waterville. The Sunday ride will bring about 2,400 cyclists into Belfast.

This is the 26th year of the event.

“There is just such a sense of family that we feel coming back every year,” Kim Spectre said. “We see people we’ve seen on other treks, and we make new friends, and everyone helps each other.”

Kent Pelkey, a five-year Trek veteran from New Gloucester, calls himself the “chief schlepper.” He teaches computer science to elementary school students and wears a small diabetic pump snapped to the waistband of his khakis. He facilitates the loading and unloading of all supplies along the route.

“I tell the folks at Ryder Truck that I’ll need 12 large vans,” he said.

“The day before the start in Bethel, we load them with water, ice and food, and we go to each rest stop to leave the supplies for that day. I have half a dozen people on my team,” Pelkey said.

The event this year could raise as much as $2 million, staffers said. Last year’s weather dampened some spirits, but this year could be one of the best.

“This year, I think we have about one-third new riders, which is phenomenal,” staff organizer David Ales said. “People really enjoy riding and they share that with others, so new people come on board because they’ve heard what a great time it is.”

Kim Denbow organizes the volunteers. For starters, she needs at least three groups of 30 people to hand out water bottles and snacks at rest stops.

“That’s 90 people every day,” she said. “We have some people who stay for all three days and some who just stay for one day,” she said. “It’s a tremendous amount of organizing, and the volunteers make it all happen every year. Things just come together somehow.”

She said she likes to interact with the cyclists.

“I saw one gentleman who had his daughter and son on his bike with him, which was really sweet,” she said.

“There were 165 teams this year, and there were more first-time riders than any other year,” staff organizer David Ales said. “More than 100 employees of L.L. Bean ride every year, but they don’t do it because they have to. They ride for someone they want to remember, or someone they know.”

Ladyslipper, a 4-year-old toy poodle, rides in her own pack with Sylvia and Bruce Wallingford. The couple owns Ernie’s Cycle Shop in Westbrook, and this is Sylvia’s first year.

“I’m paying the price for not training enough, but I think I’m going to be OK,” Sylvia Wallingford said. “Our dog loves this, and she’s going to enjoy a little bit of ice cream for a treat after her long ride today.”