Saturday April 9, 2016 FCBA Spring Blog
Today was the first day of the FCBA Spring ride, a first for me as well. I’ve participated as
a rider, fundraiser and overall fan since 2013 and have been looking forward to finally experiencing the Spring ride on the Natchez Trace.
Today was build day! Oyee! We all look forward to build day, as it reminds us of what the ride is all about; helping others. We all met at St. Luke’s Community House where our roughly 40 member team was divided into teams of 3 to 4, to work on 14 different sites/projects. I was assigned to a home owned by Henry, a witty, retired firefighter, who had the discipline and willingness to do more than just maintain his home, but was limited physically in many ways. Among other ailments, he reported having back pain and balance challenges, as he attributed to his age. He even said that he was falling more frequently these days. As our team of Renee, Donna, Leah and I worked on mowing his lawn, weeding around the trees, and cutting up a huge branch that had fallen recently, Henry was busy trying to help us with all those tasks. He smiled and chucked, “I just can’t help myself”. We lovingly encouraged him to let us do the “heavy lifting” so he can do more instructing and supervising. Henry grinned and was happy to oblige…most of the time. Henry was a man of action. His whole life has always been to serve others and he continues to do so to this day. He regularly donates and transports food to St. Luke’s several days every week. We were so happy to be able to serve him this time around. At the end of the day, his outdoor space was clean, clear, and full of possibilities. He was certainly very happy and very grateful, as he gave us hugs and said, “Thank God for you”.
Today, we also rode our bikes. Oyee again! Although the miles were few, they
were challenging. The hill’s seemed to never end. That feeling is always familiar at the beginning of any FCBA ride, at least for me. What’s also familiar is how quickly the group is getting close. Many riders are returning from previous years and bring a sense of experience, warmth, and humor to the group. It feels like a big family reunion, which it is. The new riders are wide-eyed, excited, and probably a bit “scared” of what’s to come. I know I was, back in the summer of 2013 in Tybee Islan
d. I’m sure they will love these experiences of fellowship, service, adventure, and travel.
To all our supporters, donors, family and friends, thank you for giving us this opportunity to serve others.
-Kert Emperado
