BU Sophs To 'Bike America' For Big Brothers Big Sisters

April 29, 2004

by Lori Scott Fogleman

Baylor University sophomores Chad Anderson and Drew Mitchell will hit the road this summer in Bike America 2K4, pedaling 3,700 miles across the country to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas.
Anderson, a business major from Grand Rapids, Mich., and Mitchell, a business major from Porterville, Calif., will begin their expedition May 17 from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and follow a planned route to Yorktown, Va., where they hope to complete their ride in mid-July. 
The students are working with the Baylor Alumni Association to locate Baylor alums along their route, who can provide the riders with support and lodging if needed. Anderson and Mitchell also will write a weekly diary that will be posted on Baylor's web site.
The students' goal is to raise $37,840 - or $10 a mile - for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas.
Anderson has experienced first hand the impact one person can have on a child's life. He has been a Big Brother to 13-year-old Simon for the past six months.
"It took us a couple of months to get to know each other, but it has been great to see the relationship grow," Anderson said. "It has been great for Simon because he has received what he was missing in his life, which was a male role model. It has also shown me the difference one person can make in a community and for an organization like Big Brothers Big Sisters."
Bike America 2K4 will serve as a Baylor sophomore class project. It also provides a way for students to give back to their community, said Mitchell, who is vice president of the Class of 2006.
"For four years of our lives we are calling Waco our home, and how awesome an opportunity this is get involved in the lives of people right here in Waco," Mitchell said. "Big Brothers Big Sisters is a great way for college students to share their life with someone who is younger and to be that positive role model for these kids."
For more information about Bike America 2K4, contact Anderson at (616) 915-3527 or Mitchell at (254) 716-1776. Collins can be reached at the Waco BBBS office at (254) 776-2824.
To make a contribution online, go to Bike America 2K4.