SWC Woman Rides Bike Cross Country
Rita Beaver of Southwest City decided to ride her recumbent bike across the country to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.
She started her journey Aug. 26 in San Diego, Calif. Her husband drove their RV out to San Diego a few days before, and she flew out the day before. The route from San Diego to Jacksonville, Fla., is roughly 2,450 miles, she said. She finished her ride on Monday.
“I’ve always wanted to do something to help children because children are our future,” she said. “I was blessed. I have three healthy children. I have six healthy grandchildren. God has been amazing to me.”
Beaver said she always wanted to do a cross-country bike trip. It took her three years to get the time off from work. She had to take three weeks off with her job in quality assurance at the Simmons chicken plant in Southwest City. She had to get approval from multiple bosses to take two years’ vacation at one time.
“I prayed, ‘Lord, I’m not getting any younger. If I’m supposed to do this, open the doors for me.’ I was 51 when I started. I’m 52 now. It was now or never. All the doors started opening. Everything came down to ‘yes.’”
She said she chose St. Jude for her charity because of the way they treat families, regardless of how much money they have.
“The parents are treated decently, and the kids are treated like they are the most special child on the planet. Children are very special and they do need to be treated that way. Sometimes people without a lot of money are treated like second class. I like the fact that they don’t treat anyone like they’re second class,” she said. “To do something for children, to me, that’s a blessing.”
Beaver said she got to see the mountains, the desert and the ocean on her trip. Pedaling through the mountains was hard, but after that it got easier. Her longest ride was 125 miles in one day. She averaged 70 to 80 miles per day.
“I wouldn’t even try to ride like this unless I was going to raise money for somebody,” she said. “You might as well do something worthwhile while you’re doing it. You can do so much more than ride for fun. We all have the potential to make a difference in this world. It depends on what we choose to do.
“I could ride at home. I don’t have to go cross-country to ride. The whole point was to raise money for charity. That’s something I’ve been wanting to do for years — make a difference in this world and do something for children. That is the most precious thing we have in this life.”
The fundraising has not been going too well, she said. On her fundraising web page, she has set a goal of $20,000, and she has raised $688. She said a few people have approached her on the street and have given her money as well.
“I get a lot of comments on Facebook, but not a lot of people are opening up their checkbooks and giving, which is kind of sad,” she said. “I know the economy’s tight right now. It just takes thinking about you don’t need that extra bottle of pop. That extra dollar could help a child. If enough people do it, you’ve done something good, and you won’t even miss it. If it’s a small amount, you’re not going to miss it at all. Everyone can afford a couple of bucks.
“I’ll be glad to get back home. I miss my grandchildren. Family is important,” Beaver said. “But this has been a blessing, too, to be allowed to make a difference in this world. We each need to do something, and this is my something.”