Three pastors plan nationwide triplet bike ride for world hunger relief
As an Evangelical Lutheran pastor, Trinity Lutheran's Ron Schlak frequently has his mind on world hunger. His national church focuses sharply on a worldwide food distribution system that places so much in the hands of so few and so little for the hungry masses.
As an Evangelical Lutheran pastor, Trinity Lutheran's Ron Schlak frequently has his mind on world hunger. His national church focuses sharply on a worldwide food distribution system that places so much in the hands of so few and so little for the hungry masses.
As an avid bike rider, Schlak spends about two hours every day in the saddle, as do two of his fellow pastors, Fred Soltow of Shepherdstown and David Twedt of Wardensville. Next May, the three padres plan to pedal their way across the country to raise money for and awareness of world hunger.
Three pastors plan nationwide triplet bike ride for world hunger relief
They'll travel more than 13,000 miles in 100 days, stopping in each of the 65 synods (church geographical areas) in the United States, including Puerto Rico. They'll hop a plane for the Puerto Rico leg of the trip. The pastors' average age will be 60.
Schlak and his cohorts hit upon the idea to ride for hunger last year after Twedt raised $13,000 a few years ago when he rode through the 63 churches in the West Virginia synod, which includes western Maryland. On separate occasions, he and Soltow suggested a big ride to Schlak, but the national tour was Schlak's idea.
"If I asked those two guys about it, I knew they'd do it," he said. "I asked my wife first. She said 'go ahead.'"
As expected, the two agreed. Twedt insisted that they needed a triplet bike for the ride. The "Tour de Revs," as the trip is called, will be traveled on a bicycle built for three, custom made out of bamboo by Craig Calfee in California, the man who came up with the concept of carbon bicycles 30 years ago.
"Bamboo is a renewable, sustainable resource," Schlak said. "This is the first triplet he's built, but he guarantees it will work. If it breaks, he said he'll fly wherever we are to fix it."
They hope to raise $5 million, which would complete the $25 million yearly pledge the Evangelical Lutheran church makes toward world hunger. The church usually manages to raise about $20 million yearly.
In advance publicity, the pastors will ask that church members throughout the nation skip one meal that they would have eaten out and instead give the money to the cause.
"If you're going to get a hamburger and fries, skip it and give the $5 to us, instead," Schlak said.
With some trepidation in June 2007, the pastors approached their bishop, Ralph Dunkin, with the bicycle trip proposal. He bought into the plan immediately, as has nearly everyone involved. The project gains support and momentum daily, often from unexpected sources. The week after he heard about the proposal, Dunkin mentioned it at a World Hunger meeting he attended. Someone at the meeting knew of a funding resource that eventually netted $7,000.
As an Evangelical Lutheran pastor, Trinity Lutheran's Ron Schlak frequently has his mind on world hunger. His national church focuses sharply on a worldwide food distribution system that places so much in the hands of so few and so little for the hungry masses.
As an avid bike rider, Schlak spends about two hours every day in the saddle, as do two of his fellow pastors, Fred Soltow of Shepherdstown and David Twedt of Wardensville. Next May, the three padres plan to pedal their way across the country to raise money for and awareness of world hunger.
They'll travel more than 13,000 miles in 100 days, stopping in each of the 65 synods (church geographical areas) in the United States, including Puerto Rico. They'll hop a plane for the Puerto Rico leg of the trip. The pastors' average age will be 60.
Schlak and his cohorts hit upon the idea to ride for hunger last year after Twedt raised $13,000 a few years ago when he rode through the 63 churches in the West Virginia synod, which includes western Maryland. On separate occasions, he and Soltow suggested a big ride to Schlak, but the national tour was Schlak's idea.
"If I asked those two guys about it, I knew they'd do it," he said. "I asked my wife first. She said 'go ahead.'"
As expected, the two agreed. Twedt insisted that they needed a triplet bike for the ride. The "Tour de Revs," as the trip is called, will be traveled on a bicycle built for three, custom made out of bamboo by Craig Calfee in California, the man who came up with the concept of carbon bicycles 30 years ago.
"Bamboo is a renewable, sustainable resource," Schlak said. "This is the first triplet he's built, but he guarantees it will work. If it breaks, he said he'll fly wherever we are to fix it."
They hope to raise $5 million, which would complete the $25 million yearly pledge the Evangelical Lutheran church makes toward world hunger. The church usually manages to raise about $20 million yearly.
In advance publicity, the pastors will ask that church members throughout the nation skip one meal that they would have eaten out and instead give the money to the cause.
"If you're going to get a hamburger and fries, skip it and give the $5 to us, instead," Schlak said.
With some trepidation in June 2007, the pastors approached their bishop, Ralph Dunkin, with the bicycle trip proposal. He bought into the plan immediately, as has nearly everyone involved. The project gains support and momentum daily, often from unexpected sources. The week after he heard about the proposal, Dunkin mentioned it at a World Hunger meeting he attended. Someone at the meeting knew of a funding resource that eventually netted $7,000.
"Our idea was to have a bike ride and raise some money," he said. "We realized it wasn't our idea. This is something bigger than just us. Other folks have made it huge."
They'll launch their plan in August when they'll ride the triplet into the Lutheran World Hunger event in Denver. Every synod will have a delegate at the meeting, so the pastors plan to connect with them and generate enthusiasm and support for the ride.
When they start their ride at the Chicago church headquarters next May, they'll stay in churches during the weekdays and conduct workshops on hunger, usually after a dinner hosted by the church families. On Sundays, the three pastors will preach in different host churches.
They'll ride through the Midwest, down to Florida, back up the East Coast, across the country's northern border, down the West Coast, across the southern border, up the midsection and end at the 2009 national convention in Minneapolis in August.
Along the way, they'll stop in New Orleans, where church youth will hold their tri-annual world hunger meeting. They will present the pastors with a check, which they'll deliver to the national convention.
As word spreads, Schlak and his fellow cyclists hope other bikers will meet them as they ride into new towns. Soltow, the most experienced rider - and a triathlete - will ride in the front. Twedt, the tallest, will take the back spot and Schlak, the middle.
The ride required up-front money from their home churches to cover the cost of substitute clergy to fill in for them during the 100 days they'll be away. The bicycle's $11,000 cost is covered by the church's pension board. Old Lutheran, a company specializing in humorous church merchandise, provides the trio's biking clothing, which runs about $1,000 each.
Twedt's wife, Connie, manages the myriad details associated with the trip - the route and contact information, hosting churches, fundraising, grants, donations and insurance.
Schlak, 57, has been pastor at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church for 14 years. This trip marks his second sabbatical. The first was a trip in Europe to study cathedrals.
"That was fun and edifying, but it was just for me," he said. "This is about other people. It's a gift I can give."
Keep it clean. Comments that are obscene, sexually explicit, racist or offensive will be removed. If you wouldn’t say it to your mother, don’t post it here.
Be civil. Don’t threaten to hurt anyone. Personal attacks, insults or harassment of any kind are subject to removal.
Be truthful. Don’t lie about a situation or person.
Keep it brief. Keep your comment to one post. Redundant or multiple posts in a row aren’t allowed.
Stay on task. Stick to the topics relevant to the story and discussion.
Let us know about offensive comments. Click the “Report Abuse” button if you think a comment is against the rules.
Post a comment