|
|
|
Quincyan mark wiewel kicks off annual wcu bike for food fundraiser by 123wert sdfsf
|
|
|
Quincyan mark wiewel kicks off annual wcu bike for food fundraiser |
|
|
|
Business,Business News,Business Opportunities
|
|
By EDWARD HUSAR Herald-Whig Staff Writer Mark Wiewel is at it again. For the seventh straight year, the president and CEO of the WesternCatholic Union is getting ready to take a seat on his 27-speedrecumbent bicycle and start pedaling several hundred miles to raisemoney for local food pantries. It's all part of the "WCU Bike for Food" fundraiser he initiated in2006. Wiewel -- joined by his two sons, Matthew and Mark -- will beriding in the 300-mile Illinois Trail and Parks bike ride, whichbegins today (Sunday) in Dixon and continues for six days. The ridewill loop through Savanna, Rock Island and Fulton before returningto Dixon on Friday.
As part of their riding adventure, Wiewel and his two sons will besoliciting donations to benefit 10 food pantries in the Quincy area-- seven on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River and three inNortheast Missouri. Their goal is to raise $20,000, but they don't plan to generate allof that in one week. Wiewel said the bike ride is simply thekickoff of the "WCU Bike for Food" campaign, which will continuethrough mid-December. According to Wiewel, the WCU will match up to $500 in donations toeach of the 10 food pantries between now and December.
That's apotential $5,000 from the WCU, provided the community comes throughwith enough matching donations. Checks should be sent directly to the food pantries. "The onlything we ask is for them to write the word ‘Bike' somewhereon the check," Wiewel said. If people want to donate cash, they are asked to include a notespecifying the money is for the Bike for Food effort.
For the first time, Wiewel said, canned goods and othernon-perishable food items also may be donated directly to thepantries and be counted toward for the WCU match. Donors shouldsimply ask the pantry to include the food donations with other WCUBike for Food contributions. Wiewel is hoping the public comes through, because the need forfood is apparently bigger than usual this year. "There are people who are desperately in need of food," Wiewelsaid. "The need goes on, so we want people to donate through therest of the year." Since Wiewel started the Bike for Food campaign in 2006, he and hissupporters have raised $69,000 for food pantries in Quincy,Hannibal, Palmyra and Canton.
"This thing has been pretty cool," he said. Wiewel said he was inspired to start the campaign by a Scriptureverse from the Book of James that says: "What good is it havingfaith if you don't have the good deeds to go with it?" "That kind of resonated with me," he said. "So I asked myself,‘What can I do?' " Since he loved to ride a bike long distances, he decided to combinebiking with raising money. Along the way he discovered the joy ofusing a recumbent bike, which lets the rider sit back whilepedaling, which is easier on the body in some respects but moredifficult in others.
"It's all leg power," he said. "Ninety percent of your body weightis on that back wheel. These bikes are really fast going downhilland really slow going uphill." That's where the bike's 27 gears come in handy -- to make pedalingeasier going up and down steep inclines. -- ehusar@whig.com/221-3378. I am Laundry Products writer, reports some information about ridgid power tools , homemade wind power.
Related Articles -
ridgid power tools, homemade wind power,
|
Rate This Article |
|
|
|
Do you Agree or Disagree? Have a Comment? POST IT!
Reader Opinions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Author Login |
|
|
Advertiser Login
ADVERTISE HERE NOW!
Limited Time $60 Offer!
90 Days-1.5 Million Views
|
|
TIM FAY
After 60-plus years of living, I am just trying to pass down some of the information that I have lea...more
|
|
|
|
|
GENE MYERS
Author of four books and two screenplays; frequent magazine contributor. I have four other books "in...more
|
|
|
|
|
DONNIE LEWIS
I'm an avid consumer of a smoothie a day living, herbs, vitamins and daily dose of exercise. I'm 60...more
|
|
|
|
|
LAURA JEEVES
At LeadGenerators, we specialise in content-led Online Marketing Strategies for our clients in the t...more
|
|
|
|
|
ADRIAN JOELE
I have been involved in nutrition and weight management for over 12 years and I like to share my kn...more
|
|
|
|
|
SUSAN FRIESEN
Located in the lower mainland of B.C., Susan Friesen is a visionary brand strategist, entrepreneur, ...more
|
|
|
|
|
STEPHEN BYE
Steve Bye is currently a fiction writer, who published his first novel, ‘Looking Forward Through the...more
|
|
|
|
|
STEVE BURGESS
Steve Burgess is a freelance technology writer, a practicing computer forensics specialist as the pr...more
|
|
|
|
|
ALEX BELSEY
I am the editor of QUAY Magazine, a B2B publication based in the South West of the UK. I am also the...more
|
|
|
|