Cyclists bike across the country for poverty

For the past five weeks, Claire Elgersma has been able get an up-close look at the beauty of the country.

As one of 127 people who is participating in the entire Sea to Sea 2008 Bike Tour, the Kentwood, Mich., woman is riding to raise money to fight poverty in North America and around the world.

“It’s kind of a crazy idea,” Elgersma said Sunday while updating her Web log in Fremont’s Memorial Park. “I did it in 2005 and saw what it did for the people involved. ... This time we’re experiencing the same thing.”

The 3,881-mile, nine-week tour is presented by the Christian Reformed Church, a congregation of about 275,000 people in 1,000 churches in the United States and Canada. In 2005, the Canadian branch of the church did a similar ride in honor of its 150th anniversary.

This year, the trip began in Seattle, Wash., and will finish in Jersey City, N.J., in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty. So far, $1.9 million has been raised.

“Canadians and Americans are working together to make a difference,” Elgersma said. “It does make a difference. You do impact people’s lives. We are so richly blessed and we have a responsibility to share what we have.”

Funds generated through the tour will be used in business, community and leadership development projects through the Christian Reformed Church’s missions programs.

While there are 127 people who are making the entire trip, others are joining for two-week portions. On Saturday, there were 140 cyclists who rode into Fremont.

Those 140 set up camp in Memorial Park and then sought ways to cool off from some of the hottest temperatures they have seen on the trip. Some sought out cool drinks while others went into Sidner Ice Arena, where a few even played hockey.

“Some of the kids have a lot of energy,” said Elgersma, who has retired from running her own business in the past three years.

Sunday was a day to attend worship services. Some of the riders went to Lincoln, others to Omaha and still others to churches in Fremont. Then it was time to look for shade, fix flat tires, do some minor repair and wash the bikes.

Riders share an evening meal together each day and a mobile kitchen is located in one of the support vehicles that travels with the tour.

During the first five weeks, Elgersma and her fellow cyclists have seen mountains, rolling hills and a lot of sage brush.

“Winter Park (Colo.) was spectacular,” she said. “But I can’t say I’m crazy about all the sage brush.”

She’s looking forward to what’s in store in Iowa and Wisconsin and eventually dipping her tires in the Atlantic Ocean right across from the Statue of Liberty.

“We’ve done over 2,000 miles,” Elgersma said. “It’s an amazing feat to have pedaled all that distance. It’s fun, but it’s also serious. For a lot of the people we’re biking for, a bike is their livelihood.

“Every four seconds a child dies because of poverty,” she added. “That’s four pedal strokes.”

Elgersma and the other riders will continue to pedal for their cause. Today the trip heads to Sioux City, Iowa.

To follow along on the journey, visit www.seatosea.org.