The inaugural 1,350-mile, four-week Underground Railroad charity bicycle ride following slaves’ historic path toward freedom will arrive in Clarksdale on Saturday, June 4, for a three-night stay after an 86-mile ride from Greenville.
After an off day on Sunday, June 5, to explore the area, they have a Build Day with the Clarksdale Fuller Center for Housing on Monday, June 6.
The riders are raising money and awareness for The Fuller Center for Housing’s fight against poverty housing.
Over four weeks, The Fuller Center Bicycle Adventure will roll through six states from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico to the shore of Lake Erie. The journey will include 190 miles on the scenic Natchez Trace Parkway and more than 300 miles of dedicated bike paths in Ohio. Along the way, riders will hop off their bikes for five different build days as they practice what they preach with Fuller Center covenant partners. Riders average more than 63 miles of riding per day and are hosted at most of their overnight stops by churches before they resume their journey early the next morning.
The Fuller Center Bicycle Adventure was founded in 2008 as a way to raise funds for The Fuller Center for Housing’s work. Their goal is to partner with families in need to help them have simple, decent places to live through home repairs and new home construction — through dozens of Fuller Center covenant partners across the United States and in 20 different countries.
In addition to having raised more than $3.8 million (more than $500,000 so far this year alone, a new record) for The Fuller Center’s work through the years, the riders also raise awareness about the nonprofit’s work through speaking engagements, media coverage and simply by talking with people they meet along the way.
The riders come from various locations and all walks of life, and they are always eager to share their stories.
For details or to help, call Suzanne Ginger at 309-224-0620, who will be with the riders for the entire journey.
To download free, high-resolution images from previous Bicycle Adventures to use in media reports, go to fullercenterphotopartner.org/Overview/Bicycle-Adventure.
For more information go to FullerCenter.org or FullerCenterBikeAdventure.org
