Tour de Midnight offers dazzling bike rides and a chance to help families impacted by epilepsy

ROCKVILLE, Va. — In two weeks, you'll have the chance to enjoy the spectacular Goochland and Hanover countryside on a bike and help families impacted by epilepsy.

The 2026 Tour de Midnight on Saturday, October 17 starts and ends at the Midnight Brewery in Rockville.

Dr. Stacey Epps, the president of the Epilepsy Foundation of Virginia (EPVA), says the Tour is critical to the foundation's outreach efforts.

"It is probably the most important event, aside from direct patient care, support groups, and those things, because this is our major fundraiser," said Epps. "This is our 11th year. This is where we get the majority of funds that support scholarships, the support groups, memory groups and direct assistance. People sometimes can't afford their medicine, so they come to the foundation, and we actually help them with that. They can't afford transportation. It really is a safety net for people."

Charlottesville's Ben King, a retired former professional cyclist, will be riding the 35-mile option and says the EPVA does important work in helping unlock the remaining mysteries of epilepsy.

"I had a long and amazing career in cycling, and then in 2022, we actually lost our daughter Olivia to an epilepsy-related genetic condition," said King. "Now I'm working in the industry for a laboratory that offers genetic testing, and so the Tour de Midnight just marries those those passions in such a neat way. It's a fun and effective vehicle for raising awareness and bringing attention to such an important cause."

King points out the event is not a race and builds a community that everyone can enjoy.

"I've been off the bike now for four years, so I could definitely use your company," King said. "Sign up for the Tour de Midnight and even if you don't ride a bike, the after-party is such a fun, inclusive event for everyone. There are volunteers from all over the state, just ready to engage and have have a have a fun time together."

Epps points out the Midnight Brewery owners always come up with something special for the Tour.

"Trey and and the Carnes family that own Midnight Brewery make a special brew for the occasion," Epps said. "And then we have epilepsy education. We have people telling their stories. How does epilepsy affect my life? We do seizure first aid training, which is very important."

Epps says the event each year is dedicated to a special young woman.

"It always comes back to me Elizabeth Hart Dalton," Epps said. "We have a scholarship called the Elizabeth Hart Dalton Scholarship. She was a courageous young woman, who had refractory epilepsy, but was still going to nursing school. She wanted to take care of people with epilepsy, and sadly, she passed away from epilepsy. And her family has been so supportive. They helped us establish the scholarship, and the Tour de Midnight helps fund that scholarship. So remember, Elizabeth, she was the the face of Tour de Midnight. She was the first person who came on this network and told her story, and she had never told it publicly before. So very brave young lady."

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