Bicyclists converge on St. Louis for the lives of the unborn
Matthew Dawson of Ankeny, Iowa, and Larik Eremenko of Lynnwood, Washington, rode from Dodge City to Kingman Monday, July 10, on their way to St. Louis, Missouri, in a quest to raise money for and awareness about the unborn. They arrived at the Gateway to the West on Sunday, July 16. (Photos courtesy Kathryn DeLapp)
The Kansas wind didn’t help two Biking For Babies cyclists riding from Dodge City to St. Louis in an effort to raise money for and increase awareness about the unborn.
But Matthew Dawson of Ankeny, Iowa, and Larik Eremenko of Lynnwood, Washington, still averaged over 18 miles per hour in the first leg of their ride Monday, July 10, from Dodge City to Kingman.
A bit sore after the ride
“The weather was beautiful – but I’m a little bit sore,” Dawson said while a guest of St. Patrick Parish in Kingman that afternoon. “We had to push through it but it wasn’t too bad.”
Courtney Duzynski of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, had planned to be the third cyclist on the route to the Gateway to the West but hurt her knee. She instead acted as the Kansas route leader.
Their hosts in Dodge City were gracious and welcoming of the two cyclists and four support crew, she said. They heard a presentation about a pregnancy resource center there before getting some rest before the ride’s start.
The start was early.
An early start
The support crew was up at 3:30 a.m. to pack the car. The cyclists woke up at 4 a.m. And everyone was on the road at 5 a.m. heading east toward Kingman and their ultimate goal of St. Louis.
“They were super speedy,” Duzynski said. “We arrived before 1 p.m., about 12:45.”
The goal of the annual event is to renew the culture of life in the United States. This year’s ride was held July 9-16. In addition to the relationships developed and the education resulting from the ride, those involved raised $261,000 last year. Since its initiation in 2009, Biking for Babies has raised $1.26 million.
Sacrificing for babies
This year 79 missionaries 18- to 39-year-old sacrificed their time, talent, and treasure to share the beauty of life and work to renew a culture of life.
B4B 2023 consisted of eighty routes. Five of them started from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Mississippi, and Kansas and ended in St. Louis. Two routes started in Ohio and New York and ended in Washington, D.C.