SHELBY — Sweltering temperatures haven’t stopped Northern Ohio cyclists from riding for a cause this week.
Rotary District 6600’s 2024 Rotary Tour for MESA began June 14 when riders arrived in Tiffin. Cyclists began the 250-plus mile tour the following morning, riding from Tiffin to Upper Sandusky and Marion.
Each summer, the tour helps raise funds and awareness for MESA, Medical Equipment and Supplies Abroad Foundation, Inc. — which collects and sends medical and educational materials around the globe.
Since June 16, the tour made stops in Cardington, Mansfield, Loudonville, Ashland and New London — making its way to Shelby on Tuesday afternoon.
Riders rolled in to Black Fork Commons Plaza around noon Tuesday, where the Rotary Club of Shelby was waiting with lunch and refreshments.
Riley Place, Shelby Rotary Club president, said it was a great opportunity to support the bikers and share encouragement as they continue their tour.
“They’re biking for a great cause,” he said. “They’re warriors. It’s hot out and it’s like it doesn’t even affect them.”
MESA ships materials globally
One of two MESA warehouses in the United States is located in Fostoria, according to Rotary District 6600’s website.
Collected medical and educational materials “go from MESA’s warehouse in Fostoria,
into a shipping container, and then into the port of a local Rotary Club for distribution,” the website says.
Materials are distributed globally, including Central America, West Africa and Eastern European countries.
Cyclists raise funds and awareness for MESA while participating in the tour — which typically lasts five days.
The tour is about 250 to 350 miles long and features stops at different Rotary Clubs throughout District 6600.
Anderson thanks Shelby Rotary Club for support
Cyclist Kurt Anderson, who helped organize the 2024 tour, thanked Shelby Rotary Club members for their support Tuesday.
Anderson said each local club the tour stops at is like a “link in one of those bicycle chains.”
“If something got missed, we wouldn’t get food, we wouldn’t get hydration and we wouldn’t be able to continue the tour,” he said.
Rotary Tour for MESA raises half of the foundation’s annual budget, Anderson said, adding each stop along the route is significant.
“Each of the clubs that helps make the tour possible is also very, very significant,” he said.
“The meals and all that are almost secondary to your personal commitment, because that’s what we want the most for MESA,” Anderson told club members. “That’s what keeps MESA going and able to continue raising funds.”
On behalf of the tour and its cyclists, Anderson gave Place and the Shelby Rotary Club a banner for its contributions to the 2024 Rotary Tour for MESA.
Cyclists resumed the tour Tuesday afternoon, scheduled to end the day in Bucyrus. Riders plan to depart Bucyrus on Wednesday — making a stop in Carey before ending this year’s tour back in Tiffin on Wednesday evening.
To learn more about MESA or make a donation, visit the Rotary District 6600 website.