Law Professor Rides for Justice
After bicycling 2,500 grueling miles from the West Coast of the United States to Michigan, law and business professor Steve McCloskey will share his experiences, as well as speak about the work of the Association for a More Just Society (AJS), later this month in West Michigan.
Approved by Synod 2010 for support as a non-denominational organization, AJS works in Honduras but is based in Grand Rapids. It is also incorporated in Honduras.
Calvin College sociology professor Kurt Ver Beek is a co-founder of the AJS and helps run a study-abroad program in Honduras for Calvin.
A non-profit organization that works in various ways for social justice for the poor living in Honduras, AJS provides legal, psychological, and investigative assistance in cases involving land rights, labor rights, domestic violence, gang violence, and child sexual abuse.
McCloskey, who teaches full-time at Shoreline Community College in Shoreline, Wash., is currently riding through the Midwest. He will speak at 7 p.m. on Monday, July 26, at Fellowship Church, 300 N. 168th Ave., Holland, Mich. At 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 27, McCloskey will meet those who would like to finish the ride with him for the last six miles of his trip. The meeting place will be at the John Ball Park ball fields (corner of Butterworth and John Ball Park Dr. SW) in Grand Rapids, Mich.
The End-of-Ride Celebration, which includes ice cream, will occur at 7 p.m. that night at Mackay/Jaycees Park, 2551 Kalamazoo SE, Grand Rapids, Mich. The park is just down the street from the Grand Rapids office of the CRC.
To take part in the Grand Rapids events, RSVP using this form, says Abram Huyser Honig, director of operations for AJS. No RSVP is necessary for the Holland presentation. McCloskey and his wife, Pollie, have worked on various social justice projects, in this country and abroad.
"Steve’s goal is to raise $10,000 ($4 per mile) for AJS. He has already obtained sponsorships to cover his ride costs, so every dollar you donate to his cause will go directly to AJS and count towards our Transforming Lives, Transforming Honduras campaign," says Honig.
McCloskey says the trip has been one of extremes, but he was prepared and has enjoyed the adventure of riding for a good cause.
"We have had such a mix of weather on this journey, from heat as high as 96 degrees in the Badlands to cold mornings below 49 degrees," writes McCloskey in one of his blog postings.
He has also battled "rain, cross-winds, tail winds, and the ever-dreaded headwinds." There have been flat tires, long rides through construction zones, and droves of grasshoppers that swoop upon him, biting his arms and legs and encircling his head.
Overall, though, he says he's had fun and believes that "it is an honor to be part of a journey that in some small way supports the cause of AJS and ASJ" (the organization is known as ASJ in Honduras.)
Inspiration has come from many sources, especially when he thinks of all of the work on so many issues with which AJS is engaged in Honduras.
Check out more about McCloskey’s trip at www.ajs-us.org/stevesjustride or http://stevesjustride.blogspot.com/.
To help Steve toward his $4 per mile goal, you can learn how to give through this link, Bike Ride. (Remember to write "Steve's Just Ride" in the check memo or online donation comment field.)
