Support Young People’s Ministries Century Ride for Global Scholarship

A few years back, my boss Mike Ratliff started going on bike rides on his birthday to raise funds for different purposes. Instead of giving him gifts, he asked his friends to help him raise money for several projects. The other year, it was to help raise funds for international participants who will attend the Global Young People’s Convocation and Legislative Assembly, a once-in-every-4-years event for United Methodist young people all over the world.

This year, Mike’s “Century Ride” will help raise funds for the global scholarship fund of our office. Young People’s Ministries, in case you’re not aware, is the global youth and young adult ministries agency of the United Methodist Church. We have a grants program and a scholarship program that benefits young people who are living and studying in their own countries. Anybody from outside the United States could apply to receive the scholarship.

It’s a fairly recent Scholarship Program. Prior to this, most of the United Methodist Church’s scholarship programs were for students in the United States. Young People’s Ministries’ Global Scholarship program has helped young people from the Philippines and Africa among other places go through College.

Mike has committed to riding a bike for 100 miles on November 6, 2015. He has also pledged $100 so he My colleague Kelsey will ride for 100 minutes.

I am committing to ride my bike for 100 minutes.

You, too, can help support this effort. You can donate $100 or more. But if that amount is a little too high for you, can gather 10 of your friends to give $10 each and support this fundraising effort. If $10 still sounds too much, how about gathering 20 friends who will give $5 each? Or even 100 friends giving $1 each. We can be creative in helping support students around the world!

By the way, November is also my birth month and this a good project for my 33rd birthday! Here is my bike, which I will be riding for the Global Scholarship Century Ride. Don’t let its cool, slick look fool you. I got it from Craigslist for $45! Not bad, right? So if you want to ride your bike, too, in support of this effort, or send your financial support, head over to this link: http://globalyoungpeople.org/centuryride/