Tallahassee, FL  On August 20th, Father Matthew Ruhl, S.J. And his team of bike riders will arrive in Tallahassee as part of their 5,000 mile cross-country ride to bring attention to the 40 million Americans living in poverty and the plan of Catholic Charities USA to cut those numbers in half by 2020. “There is a great need in this country to reduce poverty, and I thought this was a way to draw attention to the cause and try to make a difference,” said Fr. Ruhl, a Jesuit priest based in Kansas City, Mo. He began planning his trip more than two years ago and recruited riders from across the country.
 
Father Ruhl and 11 other cross-country riders will be joined along the way by many riders doing shorter segments, and will rally in local communities at each stop. They share the message – and challenge – of reducing the number of persons living below the poverty level by 50% by the year 2020.

The 12 cross-country riders will begin their Cycling for Change journey on Memorial Day in Cape Flattery, WA. and won’t stop until they reach Key West, Fl. on Labor Day.  Thousands of Americans all over the country will be following the team's progress through Facebook www.facebook.com/CyclingforChange and Twitter http://twitter.com/Cycling4Change. Fr. Ruhl will be wearing a spot-tracker that will allow visitors to the C4C website (www.cyclingforchange.org) to see the exact location of the team on an interactive map.

Cycling for Change and Homeward Bound with the combined efforts of local organizations and businesses are participating in a community-wide rally on Saturday, August 21st from 11-2 p.m. at Kleman Plaza. Come join us for a poverty proclamation, speakers, music and more. Meet these amazing cyclists! For details about the ride and events along the route, visit www.cyclingforchange.org or contact Kathleen Conwell at 816.714.2380. For information about the rally contact Debra Herman, Regional Director, Catholic Charities, 850.222.2180 or Mary Weil, 850-222-0499, The Shelter.

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