MESA Bike Ride
Posted by Heather Rutz
on Jun 13, 2016
The MESA bike riders brought their message to Lima Monday.
Bicyclists from across District 6600 stopped in Lima Monday for food, fellowship and fundraising.
The MESA Bicycle Tour was on Day 3 as the group visited Lima to receive more than $6,000 in support from the Lima Rotary Club. MESA Stands for Medical Equipment & Supplies Abroad, the district’s effort to help others by delivering medical supplies, computers, emergency vehicles, and much more to people around the world.
For six days, bicyclists ride 50 miles or more each day, with a goal of raising $50,000 from pledges and club support, said Bill Pepple, of the Bryan Rotary Club and chair of the Rotary Tour for MESA. Pepple thanked the Lima club for its longtime support of the ride and noted several of the riders and support staff came from Lima, including Becky Waggamon and Catheryn Sarno.
The riders, dressed in their bike shorts and MESA Rotary jerseys and socks or flip flops, stood out at lunch.
“We’re bringing MESA to you in a vivid way,” rider Kurt Anderson said. “But the real story happens overseas.”
Anderson told a story of MESA providing nine dialysis machines to Nigeria. The entire country had only three machines previously, but MESA was able to step in, finding a use for equipment that would have been scrapped, funding the shipping cost, and improving the health of Nigerians.
“We’re saving lives as we do this,” Anderson said.
The MESA Bicycle Tour was on Day 3 as the group visited Lima to receive more than $6,000 in support from the Lima Rotary Club. MESA Stands for Medical Equipment & Supplies Abroad, the district’s effort to help others by delivering medical supplies, computers, emergency vehicles, and much more to people around the world.
For six days, bicyclists ride 50 miles or more each day, with a goal of raising $50,000 from pledges and club support, said Bill Pepple, of the Bryan Rotary Club and chair of the Rotary Tour for MESA. Pepple thanked the Lima club for its longtime support of the ride and noted several of the riders and support staff came from Lima, including Becky Waggamon and Catheryn Sarno.
The riders, dressed in their bike shorts and MESA Rotary jerseys and socks or flip flops, stood out at lunch.
“We’re bringing MESA to you in a vivid way,” rider Kurt Anderson said. “But the real story happens overseas.”
Anderson told a story of MESA providing nine dialysis machines to Nigeria. The entire country had only three machines previously, but MESA was able to step in, finding a use for equipment that would have been scrapped, funding the shipping cost, and improving the health of Nigerians.
“We’re saving lives as we do this,” Anderson said.
The tour was presented with two checks totaling more than $6,000 from the Lima Rotary Club.
Anderson asked that people follow the tour’s activities by finding the Rotary Tour For MESA page on Facebook.
Also on Monday:
We celebrated club anniversaries, including 21 years for Roy Baldridge
Club President David Runk reminded us about two upcoming events, the Rex Perry Memorial Golf Outing Wednesday, and Rotary Day at Lima Locos Saturday.
A reminder – you can still submit nominations for service awards to be presented at the Changing of the Guard June 27.