Biking for Babies makes stop in Ottawa for nationwide fundraiser

Crystal Lake resident Jack Gebert, a father of three children, recalled what he told his son before embarking on a roughly 600-mile bicycle trip from Green Bay, Wisconsin, to St. Louis, Missouri.

“I told him I loved him and I love our family,” the 29-year-old said Wednesday during an overnight stop in Ottawa.

Gebert is the group leader for six bicyclists taking the trip for Biking for Babies, a national effort started in Champaign-Urbana to raise money for pregnancy centers that assist pregnant women and their families, with an emphasis on encouraging pregnant women to choose birth.

For Gebert, the joy his family brings him inspired him to the cause, which naturally fit with his love for cycling.

“For me, this was a way to give back to the community, to let women know they can do it,” said Gebert, who rode last year from Mississippi to St. Louis for Biking for Babies. " ... It’s about giving women the choice to have a family.”

Ottawa’s Catholic community has helped Biking for Babies for the past several years by serving as an overnight stop on the journey from Wisconsin to Missouri. Bicyclists were met with applause from a dozen parishioners as they arrived about 2 p.m. Wednesday at the St. Columba rectory parking lot. The bicyclists were greeted with bottled water and sliced watermelon.

Marlene Murphy and Pat Solis were among parishioners greeting the cyclists and serving as hosts, allowing bicyclists to stay at their homes for free.

“They have very interesting stories about what they’re doing and why they’re doing it,” Solis said. “It renews my belief in the younger generation.”

The bicyclists also attend an evening Mass and serve as the guests of honor for a dinner, speaking about their initiative.

“That’s when we share a little bit more from here,” Gebert said pressing against his heart. “We appreciate Ottawa and what they do for us.”

Gebert’s group departed from Green Bay to Madison on Monday, trekked from Madison to Rockton, Illinois, on Tuesday, then they venture from Ottawa to Peoria early Thursday morning and plan to arrive in St. Louis on Saturday.

“It’s a really beautiful trip,” said Brooke Grobbel, who works on the support crew for Biking for Babies — a van that follows the cyclists with spare parts, First Aid kits, etc. “When we arrive somewhere, we’re always met with so much warmth and people cheering us on, just like (Wednesday).”

Biking for Babies started 12 years ago when founders Jimmy Becker and Mike Shaefer raised $14,000 during their initial ride. The fundraiser has since grown to six different rides across the country converging in St. Louis, with hopes of raising more than $200,000 for 50 missionaries.

Ottawa parishioners said they are happy to be a part of it.

“This has become a tradition,” Murphy said.