Cyclists will ride 300 miles across Alabama in order to raise awareness about poverty housing.
The 8th annual Cycle of Service will last from April 21 to April 23 and is a part of Alabama Rural Ministry, whose goal is to eliminate substandard housing in rural Alabama.
According to Lisa Pierce, the founder of Alabama Rural Ministry and participant in the event, the idea for the Cycle of Service came to her in the summer of 2009 when she walked across Alabama in 11 days.
“We were just trying to do a really big fundraiser with really big publicity kind of event,” Pierce said. “We decided after we did that that it was great and fun but we wanted to something that more people could participate in that didn’t create as many blisters and that didn’t take 11 days to do.”
Cyclists will ride from Livingston to Selma on the first day, ride through Montgomery to Tuskegee on the second day and ride by Columbus, Georgia, before finishing in Auburn on the third day.
“The very first night, most likely we’ll stay in the dorms for the University of West Alabama,” Pierce said. “The second night we’ll stay in a church in Selma …and the last night we have a big house in Tuskegee with bunk beds and showers so it’s a little more uncomfortable.”
Auburn graduate and resident John Stevenson, who has participated in the Cycle of Service three times now, said he cycles year-round in order to prepare for the event.
“I start to really think about specifically preparing for it in December to January,” Stevenson said. “Sometimes we have cyclist who get on the ride who don’t cycle a lot, and to see them be able to complete the 300 miles is just inspiring for me.”
Registration for the event is $65 for each person willing to fundraise for the event or $195 for cyclists who do not wish to fundraise but still want to participate. Cyclists also have the option to only participate in the third day’s ride for $65.
A virtual rider option is available for $25, where cyclists can rack up miles equivalent to the Cycle of Service from their personal bike, spin class or a stationary bike.
According to Pierce, the Cycle of Service typically generates anywhere from $25,000 to $30,000 each year, all of which contributes to building homes for impoverished communities in Alabama.
Information and registration is available through http://cycleofservice.arm-al.org/
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