Ride for Refuge Honoring Family That Helped Found Fundraiser
This year’s Ride for Refuge bicycling fundraiser will honor Glen and Kori Vanderkooi and their children who were instrumental in establishing the event.
“They directed it for its first five years, directly and indirectly helping raise over $250,000 through the Ride during those years,” say Tim and Angie Sliedrecht, who work for a partner of Christian Reformed World Missions in Uganda.
Ride for Refuge, which will be held this year across North America on Oct. 4, “has brought and is still bringing transformational impact in the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, of people in Uganda,” say the Sliedrechts.
The event will honor Glen Vanderkooi and his family because he “recently suffered a severe stroke and has a long road of recovery ahead of him.”
In 2011, students from Georgetown Christian Reformed Church in Hudsonville, Mich., biked for a reason on a rainy autumn Saturday. “I joined to help refugees all over the world, so they can feel just as safe as us,” said Trent Vegter, 12.
The students were among at least 500 riders from several west Michigan CRC churches who participated in Ride for Refuge, raising $75,000.
In a story published at that time in The Banner, the CRC’s monthly denominational publication, Kori Vanderkooi said why she her family were so involved.
“It’s important to raise awareness of the 67 million refugees (in the world).”
With the Vanderkoois in mind, bicycle riders of all ages are invited to join up to 7,000 others who will take part in the event.
Since 2004, the RIDE has raised more than $5 million through the work of thousands of riders and volunteers in locations across Canada and select American states.
Ride for Refuge participants need not be seasoned bike riders, but simply care about the cause. Rides are taking place in nearly 30 locations, mainly in Canada, but several in the U.S. as well.
In addition, people anywhere can sign up a team to ride in their own community.
Funds raised will go towards the Beyond Fish Cage Project, a self-sustainability project of the BEYOND Transformation Centre.
This is a discipleship camp and retreat center, say the Sliedrechts, they are developing for the young people of Team Beyond’s focus communities “in Uganda to discover how they can provide access to food, freedom and forgiveness in their communities and beyond.”
Ride for Refuge event partners with 175-plus charities to raise needed operating funding for their work with the displaced, vulnerable and exploited.
Approved charities use the RIDE to recruit teams of participants who will ride for them. Sixty days after the event, each partner will receive a cheque for up to 80 percent of their combined team fundraising totals.
Participants can register individually, join a team, or captain their own team. When Team Captains register, they can select the charity they wish to ride for from the approved list.
