A group from School Training Solutions (STS) was set to head out on a 263-mile ride from New Orleans to Pensacola Beach, Fla., on Friday.

Director Patrick Willi and others from STS, which provides online training for school bus drivers, are participating in the Gulf Coast Interstate Relay. Teams of runners and teams of cyclists travel along coastal roads, crossing 22 bridges and seeing the Gulf Coast one mile at a time.

"The moment I heard about the event, I wanted to participate," Willi said.

The STS Cycling Team will help the Gulf Coast Interstate Relay raise awareness for the Center for Biological Diversity and endangered species. Willi said that he also hopes to use his experiences and stories from the bicycle relay to encourage road awareness and safety. While the team participates in the relay, the STS blog will highlight how different vehicles interact while sharing the road.

As an avid cyclist and runner, Willi said that road safety is of particular importance to him.

"I always look for ways to improve awareness and get a ‘Share the Road’ message out," he said.

STS is using Willi's participation in the Gulf Coast event to kick off a "Sharing the Road" campaign that will carry on through the summer and span multiple events.

For more information about the Gulf Coast Interstate Relay, go here.

For more information about the Center for Biological Diversity, go here.