Because We're Able

July 27, 2016

My legs are burning. I'm changing hand positions, coming off my seat. Anything I can do to push through and keep moving. The incline is steep, and it's been a long day of riding. I keep pushing, though. Why? Because I'm able. I've done this before and I know I'll do this many times again.

“Because we’re able.”

I believe we can best sum up this entire campaign in those three simple words. There is a proverb that says, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.” In too many ways to count, I am privileged. And I think that the proper response to privilege is responsibility — responsibility to help those who have not yet had the same opportunities. Countless needs are unmet in the world, and I’ve been given the power to do so much. We all have.

When we first began planning this ride, I think the part that was most appealing to me was the idea that we would be using all of our skills, resources, and abilities to reach one great common goal. In the nearly eighty days we’ve been on the road, this campaign has challenged our minds and bodies like no other experience prior. When we speak to others about what it’s been like, we say “It’s far different than what we imagined, but greater than we hoped for.”

When we first coined the phrase, “Because We’re Able,” I don’t think we knew how powerful and accurate it would be. It’s a phrase bigger than a trio of men on bikes campaigning for a cause. It represents a spirit of generosity that plants hope and nurtures joy. As we’ve crossed America, we’ve met people of many backgrounds and positions. So often, we are blessed by those who look at what they have and give freely. This phrase, “because we’re able,” is also echoed by the generous donors helping us reach our $50,000 goal. While they work to provide for themselves or their families, they’ve made financial sacrifices to help a woman do the same for her family. It is this plural “we” that makes such a campaign as Ride for Korah possible. By the generosity of many people across our country, we’ve covered an incredible distance and raised a sum of money that will help transform the lives of dozens of worthy families in Korah.

Finally, this statement describes the women in Korah. Right now, they struggle to survive and to provide. They suffer from leprosy that wears on their body and their dignity. But they are strong. They know how to work hard. They care about their families and will do what it takes to provide. And through I Pour Life's 10x10 program and the gifts of people like you, they will soon provide, and this will make all the difference for themselves, their children, and their grandchildren.

So with each hill we climb, each morning we rise and pack, and each evening we get off our bikes sore and tired; we will remind ourselves why we do this — because we’re able.

At the time of this posting, we have just eleven more days left on this ride. Though we will still be accepting donations after we finish, we will be dipping our front tires in the Pacific Ocean on August 6th. If there was ever a time to get involved, it’s right now. We’ve raised nearly $25,000 and have another $25,000 to go. We met with our friends at Adventure Cycling and they’re going to be helping us bring this last stretch home. They’ll be sharing some of our content along the way and we’ll be hijacking Adventure Cycling’s Snapchat for our final stretch! If you want to see our on the road antics, follow “adventurecyclin” on Snapchat!

Photos: Top left & Right: Locke + Stache Media, Bottom Left: Josheph Bulger