| One man.
15 states.
15 concerts.
65 days.
3,502 miles.
And, oh, by the way – he’s doing this on a bicycle – for orphans.
After spending a week at an orphanage in Monterrey, Mexico in the spring of 2006 and looking deep into the eyes of parentless children, platinum selling Christian recording artist Mark Schultz’s heart was touched forever. In those moments, Schultz realized his calling is to touch the lives of children whose faces he will never see.
“I went to visit some orphanages last spring and hung out with the kids, and I thought, how can I raise money for these kids?” says Schultz. “It seemed like nobody in the music business had ever done a tour where they rode their bike across the country and did concerts. I thought, that sounds impossible. Let’s do that!” And he is! After dipping his toe in the Pacific Ocean and performing a concert at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA on May 6, the singer/songwriter began his Across America Bike Ride to raise money and awareness for orphans. While the endurance alone would intimidate many, Schultz is taking his ride one step further by performing 15 concerts along the way. He’ll use that forum to speak to concert goers about the need to support orphans. All concert proceeds will be directed to The James Fund, a non-profit organization founded by Family Christian Stores, to meet the needs of orphans and widows in the communities it serves. “We’ll do concerts on off days,” Schultz says. “I’ll ride about 100 miles and then take the next day off. I feel unbelievable for about two hours after I ride…so full of energy, but then I hit the wall pretty quickly. It’ll be good to have those recovery days.”
To physically prepare for this ride, Schultz has changed to a healthier diet, has built up his core strength with daily push-ups and sit-ups, and makes “short” bike trips around the neighborhood – about 75 miles or so. He admits that he didn’t prepare himself for the physical demands of the pending heat, but growing up in Kansas has primed him for the threatening spring weather that he’s sure to encounter. “When I was young, we used to have baseball practice out on the field, and we could see tornados coming all the time. We’d only cancel practice if it got too close. So I’m not really worried about the weather. I’m used to it.” For the past six months, Schultz has endured a great deal of mental training. “I need three things to complete this trip: water, food, and my favorite songs on my iPod,” Schultz says. “I was going up a hill the other day and I heard one of my favorite songs, and it’s the only thing that got me up the hill. I have to change my mentality and tell myself that I can ride 100 miles a day. Whether it’s raising money or riding my bike, I’m trying to stretch myself further than I ever have before.” And if he feels like the road looks too long, Schultz says he finds strength and support in his wife, Kate, who completed a similar bike ride across America five years ago.
Schultz admits that while his trip is quite a journey, it’s nothing compared to journey of orphaned children. “When I was in Mexico, I kind of bonded with a little boy, Pepe`, who was about six years old. When I left, I said goodbye to him through the chain link fence. As we drove down the street, he kept waving and running after the van until he couldn’t go any further. He watched me drive away, and it just killed me that that’s happened to him so many times…somebody that he loved or cared about just left him standing there. And that really touched me. I can’t wait to raise money, finish this ride and show up again at that orphanage.”
Seeing firsthand the harsh realities for many orphans and realizing that he could have easily been one of the boys in that orphanage, he wanted to make a difference. “It’s hard to forget the orphans I met in Mexico and the hopelessness I saw in their faces,” says Schultz. It’s no accident that Schultz is so intimately involved with this cause because his story extends back further than his trip to Mexico last year. Adopted at two weeks old, Schultz deeply understands the importance of a family and the heartbreak for those less fortunate. And even though Schultz is privileged to have been welcomed into a family at a young age, the haunting memories of childhood ridicule remind him daily why it’s important to complete this long expedition. “What keeps me focused on this trip is that I know what it’s like to be picked on because I was adopted. I was made fun of on the playground. Kids would say: ‘Ha ha, you’re adopted. You’re parents didn’t want you, so they abandoned you.’ I remember that, but I also remember going to basketball practice when I was in Pee Wee League with a new pair of six dollar shoes. All the other guys had brand name shoes that cost a lot of money. And the guys made fun of me because I didn’t have good shoes like they did.” Schultz says.
Watching a video of The James Fund’s purpose of providing for orphans, Schultz was instantly struck by how orphans are made fun of because they’re orphans, but on top of that they don’t have nice clothes, shoes and other necessities. “That really hit a specific chord with me. Not only do these kids get picked on just because they’re living in a situation that they can’t control, but then they’re ridiculed for their clothes,” Schultz says. “I couldn’t do anything about it when I was young, but I can do it now. I want to make sure that through this bike ride, I can help provide for these kids. And more than providing these kids with shoes and clothes, we’re helping to give them a future.”
Steve Biondo, president of The James Fund says, “The James Fund is honored to have Mark Schultz join us as an advocate for the fatherless and the widow. Mark's heart is like ours in that we desire to touch the lives of orphans and widows. We want to give them care for today and hope for eternity.” Schultz will ride into Portsmouth, NH on July10. Even though for most of his journey across the country he will be the sole rider, Schultz will be joined by other professional riders who have offered to ride with him and block his wind. There will also be opportunities to make contributions to The James Fund that will allow the contributor to ride with Schultz for a day. “We’ve never done this before, and we don’t know what to expect. This could turn out to be a Forrest Gump thing with a lot of people following along.” Schultz hopes to visit orphanages and talk with the kids. “That would go a long way for me to help me keep my head in the game.”
More than anything, though, Schultz is looking forward to the photos and videos that will decorate the tour bus following behind him on the trip. “The orphanage in Mexico is sending me pictures and videos of all the kids. We’ll put those up inside the bus, and I’ll look at those kids every night and again in the morning before I ride. That’s such a great motivation. I don’t know if I’ve ever done anything as great as this. It’s so exciting to get behind this!”
The Across America Bike Ride follows Schultz’s recent trip to Washington, D.C. where he was a featured performer at the Angels in Adoption Gala and shared the stage with Darryl “D.M.C” McDaniels, Representative Ginny Brown-Waite of Florida, Idaho Senator Larry Craig, and other distinguished guests and elected officials. During the gala, Schultz performed “Everything To Me,” which is the story of his own adoption. Schultz will perform that song during concert stops along the bike ride. The song is also featured on his September 2006 release and fifth career project, Broken & Beautiful.
| Photo journey... Mark visiting orphans in Mexico 
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