For 12 consecutive hours starting at 6 a.m. today at the Honolulu Club, people will take turns spinning their wheels for a good cause.

SpinFest, a fundraiser for the Epilepsy Foundation of Hawaii, will be held in one of the club's studios.

For a suggested donation of $20 per hour, individuals can hop on one of 40 spinner bikes, which are stationary and have a large fly wheel, get a workout, and raise money and awareness for EFH.

"The important thing is to educate the community. There is a stigma and fear (of those who have epilepsy)," said Keoni Devereaux, the executive director of EFH.

Devereaux, 55, is an epileptic and remembers having a seizure while attending Hale'iwa Elementary School, and the reaction of his classmates.

"Children tend to shun that particular kid," he said. "The next day no one wanted to talk to me."

The spinner bikes will be arranged in a semi-circle facing Raul "Boca" Torres, a local triathlon coach.

Torres will stay on the bike all 12 hours and he'll regulate the cadence, or intensity of the workout. The resistance on the spinner bikes is adjustable so individuals of all fitness levels can participate. Torres will wear a wireless microphone and heart-pumping music will be played.

He said 200 people, including some with epilepsy, participated in last year's event when $4,000 was raised.

Torres said the Honolulu Club, located on Ward Ave., supports many charities and causes, but epilepsy is close to his heart because he had a classmate in Brazil who had the neurological disorder.

"I remember when he had a seizure when we played soccer and people would run away from him," Torres said.

He added epileptics tend to "hide it from people." And his friend would not go to school the day after a seizure because "he was embarrassed and didn't want people to be talking about it."

SpinFest, in its third year, is a lead-in to Sharon's Ride, which will be held Sunday at Kapiolani Community College. The event features bike rides (10K, 35K, 75K, 100K) around southeast Honolulu, and 5K and 10K runs near Diamond Head.

Another fundraiser for EFH is the Bill Emerson Freedom Run in Kailua on the Fourth of July.

Torres said the main thing at these events is to inform the public: "There's nothing wrong with those who have epilepsy and those who have it can live a normal life and do normal things."

19,000 IN HAWAI'I

Epilepsy, or seizure disorder, is a neurological disorder caused by excessive electrical activity in the brain.

Symptoms can range from light-headedness to unprovoked seizures.

Epilepsy affects approximately 50 million people worldwide, including 2.7 million in the United States and 19,000 in Hawai'i. It can be controlled through medication or surgery.

The Epilepsy Foundation of Hawaii has been in existence for 31 years.

"It's close to home, close to my heart," said Devereaux.

Reach Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com.