St. John’s United Methodist Church has long been an advocate of various needs and on Sunday evening and Monday morning, church members rallied to ensure that thirty-one cyclists did not go hungry after a long day of riding, or before starting off on the next trek of their 4,071 mile journey.
The cyclists from “Bike and Build,” arrived in Parsons on Sunday, June 12 from 3 to 7 p.m., after traveling 77 miles from Cumberland, Maryland. The group is on the 13th day of their 75 day journey, logging in 546 miles traveled. They began their trip on May 30 in New Haven, Connecticut and should reach Half Moon Bay, California, on August 14.
Church members took riders to their homes for hot showers, and then greeted the group with an old fashioned covered-dish pot-luck dinner. The group settled in for the night, sleeping in the church. At 5 a.m. the next day the church prepared a large breakfast complete with eggs, potatoes, gravy, ham, biscuits, and fresh fruit. The group started off around 7 a.m. heading for Weston, loaded with all the leftovers.
Participants in “Bike and Build” must be between 18 and 25 but need no prior cycling or home-building experience. Before beginning a trip, each rider is responsible for raising at least $4,500 prior to departure. Bike & Build donates the majority of the money its participants raise to youth-led affordable housing projects across the country. The money also helps pay for trip expenses along the way — such as bikes, food, and fuel for the support van. Bike & Build provides each rider with a bike as they reach their fundraising goals. This bike is theirs to keep at the end of the trip. Riders are required to log a minimum of 500 miles on their Bike & Build bike before they begin their trip. They are also required to fulfill a volunteer requirement of at least 10 hours helping on a construction site with a local affordable housing group.
The group has 16 scheduled en-route Build Days where, instead of cycling, they will spend the day working on the construction of affordable homes and making a tangible difference for individuals and families in need— painting, siding, roofing, fencing or tackling whatever else needs to get done. Bike & Build donates to and works with a variety of organizations to provide affordable housing for those in need, including: Habitat for Humanity, Rebuilding Together, Common Ground, and COVER Home Repair. They will be donating $100 to our local North Central Community Action Association located at 513 Central Avenue here in Parsons, to help with housing issues locally. So far this group has completed 4 build days. For more information on “Bike and Build” visit bikeandbuid.org.
