Four determined young men from the Paul Anderson Youth Home (PAYH) will soon embark on a 560-mile charity bicycle ride through towns and cities in both Georgia and Florida — including Blackshear and Pierce County.
“It teaches these young men about discipline, provides them the opportunity to grow and encourages them to overcome the challenges of the ride, including long days in the sun, to accomplish something worthwhile,” said Victoria Shuman, one of PAYH’s planners for the ride.
The riders’ route, which begins Saturday, June 21 from the PAYH campus in Vidalia, will bring them through Blackshear on the 95-mile first day of the trip. The riders will stop at Oak Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Brantley County for the evening. The trek will then continue on through southern Georgia and then to Ponte Vedra, Flagler Beach, Ocala, Lake City, Lakeland in FL. The ride will then head back north through Douglas before returning Friday, June 27 to Vidalia.
The Paul Anderson Youth Home is a fully accredited and licensed recovery program offering a second chance to troubled young men.
The bike ride is PAYH’s largest fundraiser of the year. PAYH is non-profit and receives no state or federal funding.
Each of the young men participating in the ride embodies the transformative power of PAYH. They have overcome significant personal challenges, including issues with discipline, substance abuse, legal troubles and emotional instability.
Through a comprehensive program of education, mentoring, counseling, and a faith-based approach, they are entrusted with the immense physical and mental challenge of completing the journey.
The ride’s roots are directly traced to Anderson’s own epic 1,200-mile bike ride in 1961 from Vidalia to Omaha, Nebraska, which was undertaken to save the fledgling Home.
Facing financial struggles to launch his youth development program, the Olympic weightlifting gold medalist known as the “World’s Strongest Man’ garnered crucial media attention and funding for the organization.
“I can still vividly remember Paul getting on his bicycle heading for Omaha,” said his wife and PAYH co-founder Glenda Anderson Leonard. “It seemed like a wild idea at the time, but like everything Paul did, it worked out in the end. It’s incredibly special to witness our young men today honor Paul’s dedication to Christ and to the Home through this annual bike ride.”
Today, the annual bike ride serves as a tribute to Anderson’s enduring legacy and unwavering commitment to the Home’s mission.
It also provides a powerful platform to raise awareness and critical funds for PAYH. Beyond fundraising, the ride dramatically showcases the profound personal transformations of the young riders, who evolve from troubled teens to stable, emotionally healthy and physically fit young men with promising futures.
These young men rely on sponsorships to complete the ride. Those interested can contribute through the PAYH contribution page or text BIKERIDE to 71777. To see an updated list of sponsors, visit the bike ride page of the PAYH website.
Visit payh.org to learn more about Paul Anderson Youth Home and their residential programs for young men.
Founded in 1961, PAYH is a Christian residential program with an on-campus school for young men between the ages of 16 and 21 struggling in the areas of behavioral problems, and issues of discipline, anger and depression.
PAYH believes that Jesus Christ is the ultimate healer. PAYH is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).
In addition to counseling and character development, PAYH offers an accelerated learning program enabling residents to graduate with a high school diploma and technical certifications.
To date, over 1,400 young men have attended the program. The Home is located at 1603 McIntosh St. in Vidalia. To learn more about PAYH, call (912) 537-7237 or visit payh.org. Full details on the bike ride are available at payhbikeride.com.
