No Holding Back-Day 2

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Apr 222018
 

Tonight is short-I will elaborate more.

  • We had a wonderful night’s sleep and breakfast at Memorial UMC and love Rev. Steve Kopp and friends! They have been hosting us for several years!
  • Jim joined us for our ride today. He lives in Opelika, is a photographer and rode with us last year for a one day century!
  • Once again, we faced strong headwinds. They just seem to rob you of any momentum. To combat them, we had to cycle as a team; taking turns “pulling” in a pace line and then dropping to the back after a mile or so. This kept everyone fresh while allowing us to all share in the work.
  • Aldersgate UMC supplied us with an incredible chicken spaghetti, fruit, gatorade, and some snacks for lunch. This gave us the extra push for the final 40 miles to Tuskegee.
  • The narrative was the wind and a few State Troopers….but that is another story! The Tuskegee parsonage was a welcome sight and we made it in around 5:30…and we started at 8:30 am. 9 hours tells it all.
  • The highlight of our night was a visit from Ms. Andrea, dinner from Country’s BBQ with the hospitality of Patricia Stevenson and Lindsey Middleton, and a moving devotion shared by Caroline on prayer and our connection to God.
  • We are going to try to beat the storm tomorrow so going to bed early so we can have an early morning start at 7:00am…

With that-signing off!

lisa

One More Week!

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Apr 132018
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                        Contact: Lisa Pierce, (334) 501-4276 or lisa@arm-al.org

 

3 Days, 3 States, 245 Miles-Cyclists Cross Alabama to Raise Funds for Poverty Housing Alleviation

 

OPELIKA – Friday, April 13, 2018 –

From Friday, April 20th-April 22, 10 cyclists will be crossing Alabama to raise awareness about the housing needs in some of the poorest areas of our country while raising money for home repairs in Lee, Macon and Sumter counties. Their ride will cover 85, 96, and 56 miles respectively for three days.

 

The Ninth Annual Cycle of Service benefits Alabama Rural Ministry (ARM), a home-repair and housing ministry based in Opelika and working through the Black Belt of Alabama. Most of the households ARM serves are led by the elderly, disabled or single parents who live on limited or fixed incomes. ARM is also providing repair for our veterans” said Lisa Pierce, ARM’s executive director. ARM also hosts two free summer day camps for underserved children in Livingston and Tuskegee.

 

This year’s goal is to raise $25,000, which will be applied to the cost of purchasing the construction materials the organization uses in repairing homes for up to 30 families, Pierce said. One such family is Ms. Mae who lives in Tuskegee. Last year her husband, a Navy veteran passed away. Ms. Mae uses a motorized scooter for mobility. She needed a new roof and her kitchen floor was in danger of collapsing. Volunteer groups including several from Auburn and Tuskegee have been helping Ms. Mae and their final project is installing a handicap accessible shower. The cyclists are looking forward to riding so they can help her.

 

Cyclists participating in the Cycle of Service will ride for five to eight hours a day. Profiles of the riders can be found at http://cycleofservice.arm-al.org   The ride begins at 8:00 a.m. at the fire station in Cuba, Alabama and will end Sunday afternoon at the 14th Street Bridge in Phenix City near the river.

 

Some riders will participate all three days, while others will join various legs of the ride, mostly along U.S. 80: Below is the basic route

Day 1: Livingston to Selma

Day 2: Selma to Tuskegee

Day 3: Tuskegee to GA state line

 

Spin Class Competition: Local gyms in Auburn/Opelika will be challenging their spin classes to each log 245 miles from April 1-May 22nd.  The Opelika Sports Plex and Moore’s Mill Gym are participating gyms. There is a $35 registration fee. Registration is still open for this event.

 

 

 

For more information about the ride event, go to http://cycleofservice.arm-al.org  or www.facebook.com/Bikebama

One Month and Counting!

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Mar 202018
 

One month and counting! Cycle of Service launches on April 20th. I am looking forward to riding with our team as we cycle across the heart of Alabama. On Day 1 we will start in Cuba, AL. and ride to the MS state line, about 2 miles. After taking a few fun photos, we will turn around and traversing most of HW 80 East, head to Selma. Along the way we will stop in Bellamy, Demopolis, and Union Town before our day’s destination.

Why are we riding 86 miles on April 20th and totaling 245 miles by Day 3? So we can serve families like Ms. Morris. Ms. Morris lost her husband about this time last year. Mostly using a motorized scooter for mobility she has a difficult time walking. With the death of her husband, she now lives alone. Because her husband was a veteran of the US Navy, they qualified for a grant to repair their home, a large craftsman style house built in the early 1940’s. Several mission teams and “co-laborers” have come out to serve with her. To date we have re-roofed her home, built a much needed wheelchair ramp, and had to replace the joists in her kitchen and rebuild the floor. Our next step is wrapping up with a handicap accessible shower, cabinets and counter-tops. Ms. Morris especially loves all of the groups coming to serve with her, pray with her and share a Christ centered devotional thought. It means so much to now only have her home repaired, but to restore her hope in a caring community!

That is why we ride and why it means so much!

Remember, there are several ways to ride and registration is open until April 9th.
1) Journey across Alabama from April 20-22. A shuttle is provided from Auburn to West Alabama and back to Auburn from our end point in Phenix City. Total distance is 245 miles.
2) Ride virtually on a stationary or spin bike, or on your bike in your community. See how many miles you can rack up as close to 245 by May 22nd.
3) One day Century from Selma to Tuskegee April 21st and half day from Tuskegee to Chattahoochee River on Sunday April 22nd.

Registration link is: COS Registration