Eight bike riders from Howard Payne University rode the twenty miles from Santa Anna to Brownwood on Monday to raise money and awareness for world hunger. On a road not usually crowded with cyclists, the HPU team joined 12 riders with the Texas Baptists as part of Bike Out Hunger 2010.
Taking part in the ride were HPU faculty members Dr. Gary Succaw, Dr. Derek Smith and Jeff Mitchell, along with tennis coach Dalton Hutchins and students Angelie Lara, Remington Reed, Laura Driggers and Jeff Chaumet.
Adjunct faculty member Jeff Mitchell decided to participate to make a personal connection with the mission of the World Hunger Initiative in the Baptist General Convention of Texas.
“Many times I give money for initiatives like this and then go on about my daily life, not giving it a second thought,” Mitchell said. “It is not until I get involved personally with a project like this that I make a connection that I will remember for a lifetime.”
Bike Out Hunger, held April 19-24, is an event in which pastors, church members and students from across Texas ride all or part of 445 miles in the six days to raise awareness and support for hunger.
Junior Remington Reed was particularly interested in participating to support this cause.
“I think the problem of widespread hunger is one we should focus on more often,” he said. “There is no reason that children and adults alike should not have three meals a day. In and outside of the church, we do not hear as much about hunger as we should. I think it is great that there is a group of people willing to take the initiative to start this project.”
The Bike Out Hunger team took a rest stop on the HPU campus Monday afternoon after riding from Ballinger. That evening, there was a rally in the Bullion Suites of the Mabee University Center recognizing all of the riders. Dr. Bill Ellis, university president, prayed a blessing over the team.
All money raised through gifts and pledges will be given to the Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger that supports more than 100 feeding ministries in the state, U.S. and abroad.
