Guam – Little Big Ride has raised $102,377 for Big Brothers Big Sisters as of today. The 41-day, 3,240-mile bicycle trek across America by TakeCare CEO Joseph Husslein broke the $100K-mark during his 48-hour stop in Nashville, Tennessee.
During this period, Little Big Ride raised over $36,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee alone.
Husslein has been on the road for 33 days and has thus far logged 2,672 miles and 854,000 pedal strokes. He started his ride on September 12, 2010 in Santa Barbara, California and is on schedule to reach his final destination in Charleston, South Carolina on October 21st.
Based in Nashville, the Middle Tennessee chapter is on track to serve 2,800 children in 2010, making it one of the largest in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America network. The Nashville event was one of several Little Big Ride fundraisers being held by local chapters of Big Brothers Big Sisters in Guam and across Husslein’s 11-state ride route. The Guam Chapter has garnered $55,984 in donations and sponsorships through Little Big Ride. The remaining funds raised are spread across Big Brothers Big Sisters of America national office and these additional local chapters:
Family Service Agency of Santa Barbara, California
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina in Asheville, NC
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flagstaff, Arizona
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Birmingham, Alabama
Big Brothers Big Sisters of The Ozarks – Jasper & Newton Counties, Missouri
Big Brothers Big Sisters of The Ozarks – Stone & Taney Counties, Missouri
Donations are still being accepted online at http://littlebigride.org/donate.php and two more Little Big Ride fundraiser events are scheduled for upcoming ride stopovers in Asheville, North Carolina (with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina) and Summerville, South Carolina (with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Carolina Youth Development Center). 100% of all Little Big Ride proceeds is being held in trust by the Beacon Foundation for Big Brothers Big Sisters, and donors are able to designate funds to their hometown agency or to the national or local agency of their choice.
“The warm embrace of local chapters along my ride route, like the one today in Nashville, has helped me to connect on a real personal level with the challenges facing local towns and Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies all across the country,” states Husslein. Individuals and corporate citizens all along my route are proving that they will go the distance for their kids, and it is deeply rewarding to know that through their generous giving, Little Big Ride is making a difference.”
Local media in towns and cities throughout the ride have covered the “Cycling-CEO-from-Guam” story, as well. Husslein was today featured in interviews and coverage by Nashville’s FOX affiliate, WZTV Channel 17; NBC affiliate, WSMV Channel 4; 104.5FM The Zone where he was interviewed by former Tennessee Titan Blaine Bishop; and the “Thom Abraham Show” on WNSR Sports Radio 560.
Big Brothers Big Sisters helps children overcome adversity and better position them to reach their full potential. Revenue generated by Little Big Ride will be used to conduct background checks on volunteers to ensure child safety, and provide ongoing support for children, families and volunteers to build and sustain long-lasting relationships.
The 48-year-old Husslein hails from Guam where he is President and CEO of TakeCare Health Systems and Veiovis, a medical travel company. From September 12th through October 21st, he is riding his way through some of the most topographically- and climate-diverse areas in the country: from America’s Pacific Coast to the southern rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, from Colorado’s Aspen-cloaked mountain passes to the Ozark Plateau of Missouri, from the harsh Mojave desert to the heights of the Smokey Mountains. His shortest riding day is 40 miles and his longest, 140 miles. And he is climbing the equivalent of 5 ½ Mount Everest summits. It is a cross-country journey that is taking him through 11 states: California, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.
For more information about Little Big Ride, visit www.littlebigride.org.
About Big Brothers Big Sisters
For more than 100 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has operated under the belief that inherent in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive in life. Most children served by Big Brothers Big Sisters are in single-parent and low-income families or households where a parent is incarcerated. As the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”).
Big Brothers Big Sisters provides a system of ongoing evaluation and support that is proven by independent studies to help families by improving the odds that “Littles” will perform better in school and avoid violence and illegal activities, and have stronger relationships with their parents and others. Headquartered in Philadelphia with a network of nearly 400 agencies across the country, Big Brothers Big Sisters serves more than 255,000 children. Learn how you can positively impact a child’s life, donate, or volunteer at BigBrothersBigSisters.org.
About Beacon Foundation
The Beacon Foundation is a charitable organization, registered and operating under Section 501[c][3] of the Internal Revenue Code. The Foundation’s vision is to strengthen the capacity of people throughout the world to meet the challenges of and contribute to the global community. Together with the generosity of citizens and volunteers, the Foundation strives to advance people’s physical, mental and emotional wellbeing through assistance with programs and initiatives aimed at improving their quality of life and accomplishment of their life goals. The Beacon Foundation accomplishes its vision through charitable giving to charitable organizations, individuals and specialized events or groups that meet the needs of individuals domiciled in an under-served area and/or single-family household.
