Riders raise money for bibles for troops

As they rounded the curve of the highway and headed up the hill towards St. Giles Presbyterian Church - figures only ant-sized in the camera lens - you could already make out the big smiles on the cyclists’ faces. Riders in the Bike For Bibles Tour stopped to rest in Prince George for the night Wednesday and when you’re on a grueling 845-kilometre trek across northern B.C., rest looks pretty good.
That sentiment was expressed by the team of 36 cyclists, 11 roadies and support vehicle drivers as they gathered on the lawn outside St. Giles which provided lodging and meals for the night. The riders had just come in from McBride after completing a grueling and hot 200km day (their longest day.) They started out at 100 Mile House on August 11 then rode to Clearwater and Valemount before going on to McBride. They planned to stop in Quesnel Thursday before heading to Williams Lake Friday.
The final leg of their journey (Saturday) would take them on a 100km trek from Williams Lake back to 100 Mile House. Along the way, riders hope to raise $70,000 for about 200,000 Bibles to be distributed among troops in Afghanistan and Canada.
The Bibles are made with a camouflaged cover.
Doug Woods, president of the Canadian Bible Society of B.C. saw to it that supporters and media were updated on the riders’ progress.
This was Richmond resident Amy Wiebe’s first time on the bicycle trek. She was finding it … tough. Even with youth and physical fitness on her side, the journey was even more of a challenged than she expected.
“It’s cold in the morning but it warms up later, so that’s not a problem,” she said. “But the ride is hard to do. It’s different when you bike just short distances at home or in training, but today was 200km and that was very tough. I work at the Canadian Bible Society so I wanted to give it a try and I’m glad I did. My husband went all across Canada last year on a two-and-a-half month fundraising bike ride and he went much further - 8,500 kilometres.”
Riders come from all across B. C. and raise funds from donations and sponsors in their communities as well as contributing a tour fee of $200, she said. Bike for Bibles is a Canadian Bible Society fundraising activity. It originated in 1984 in Australia with three cyclists and now takes place in many countries including Canada.
Cyclists are people of all ages, from all walks of life who want fun, fitness and fellowship from the ride. This year’s ride is called Operation Bible because money raised goes mostly towards producing Bibles which go to service people overseas.
“For years, we have provided the Canadian Forces with New Testaments,” said Woods. Now soldiers have requested the Bible in its entirety, he said. A Bike for Bibles 2007 pamphlet states quite simply why the group rides to raise funds.
“These ordinary men and women stand on guard for Canada and risk their lives for us everyday. They are simply asking for a Bible. We don’t want to let them down.”