My dad, Don, is on his way…he actually started the 3,100 mile bike ride across the country on Wednesday the 18th, earlier than expected. So far, so good. I’ll post some updates on the side bar as they come in.

For part 2 of my spotlight on his efforts, I thought I’d ask him a couple questions.

If you missed part one, CLICK HERE.

Dad’s answers:

LYNN: How’d you get involved in Young Life?

DAD: One day at church I was introduced to a man who first mentioned Young Life (YL) to me. I had never heard of it. So I listened primarily because I had worked with the youth group in our former church and still had an interest in the spiritual welfare of this age group.

This man turned out to be the Committee Chairman of Verde Valley Young Life. A few weeks later he asked if I would be interested in attending a banquet to learn more about this youth ministry.

Sometime after this banquet I attended an informal gathering of other YL Committee members where I learned about the role of the Advisory Committee. Subsequent visits to YL weekly club meetings, meeting the YL pastor, and other information gained from searching the website convinced me this was an effective ministry that was valuable to the youth in the Verde Valley.

When I heard that the ministry was in a dire financial position, I thought my previous financial and administrative experience could be of value in “righting the ship.”

I became a committee member primarily to establish financial and administrative focus and discipline within the Verde Valley YL committee, that I thought was seriously lacking. The more I got involved, the more I understood the mission and vision of YL, and it has become a passion with me to do whatever I can to assure the sustainability and stability of this valuable ministry.

🙂

LYNN: What made you think to bike 3,100 miles? That’s a ton!!

DAD: I like to bike and I do a lot of it. I also look forward to physical events that I feel will challenge me. For several years a bike ride across America has been a vague someday-I-would-like-to-do-this-idea.

When it became apparent that Verde Valley YL was facing severe financial difficulty, I thought of all those other fund raising events we hear of: Run for Luekemia, Run to beat Breast Cancer, etc., etc.

I thought, why not actually do this “someday, maybe” bike ride as a fundraiser. I thought if people heard about this senior gentleman doing something this bizarre, they might decide it was worth a few bucks to support him.

So…….the ride became a reality. And the distance had to be great enough to grab people’s attention. And it makes good press: Coast to Coast, transcontinental, Ride Across America.

🙂

LYNN: How did you get into the extreme sports? Running marathons, climbing mountains, riding 3,100 miles?

DAD: I don’t view any of this stuff as extreme sports. But I do like to keep upping the ante.

If 26 mile runs get to be blasie, then run 50 miles.

When backpacking gets routine, find tougher, more challenging routes, maybe with a few mountain peaks thrown in.

If you can bike 100 miles in one day, why not string a bunch of these 100-mile days together.

Life must continue to offer challenges to renew the spirit, motivate performance, and kindle new dreams. The accomplishment of extreme challenges builds confidence and self esteem.

Most of the stuff I do requires prolonged periods of being alone, which to me is refreshing and energizing. After such long, arduous events, I invariably feel more alive and invigorated.

🙂

Wow. That’s really all I can say. And yes, I’m a writer…usually we have lots to say, right?

Dad, may God bless you and keep you on this mighty adventure! Stay tuned for updates if you’re interested. If you want to financially support the cause, drop me an email, I’ll get you hooked up: sheriboeyink {at} cox {dot} net.

CHECK OUT THE BLOG my dad set up for this: http://coasttocoastforkids.blogspot.com/