Local News

Rich's Ride to make a stop in Highlands County

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Highlands Today
Published: February 11, 2013

AVON PARK - Disabled cyclist Rich Dixon and his wife, Becky, started a 1,000-mile handcycle journey in January along Florida's coast and they will make a stop in Avon Park on Feb. 18. The ride benefits Convoy of Hope.

Rich and Becky Dixon, and their service dog, Monte, started their journey in Jacksonville on Jan. 28, and will travel south to Miami, then across the state to Naples and head north, finishing their trek in Tallahassee on March 3.

Ridge Area Arc will be sponsoring Rich Dixon, who will be giving a speech at 10 a.m., Monday, Feb. 18, at Arc's Workcenter, located at 120 W. College Drive, in Avon Park. The public is invited and refreshments will be provided.

The Florida Hope Tour 2013, which is the third project of Rich's Ride, enables Rich Dixon to share his story of hope and for Rich and Becky to raise awareness and funds to support the work of Convoy of Hope, a faith-based nonprofit that provides disaster response and international feeding initiatives for children.

Rich Dixon, a retired educator who lives in Fort Collins, Colo., was paralyzed below his chest in 1987 when he fell while installing Christmas lights.

Rich's first ride was 1,500 miles along the Mississippi River and raised nearly $60,000 to combat child hunger through Convoy of Hope.

In July 2012 he joined a team of 25 able-bodied cyclists on the 500-mile IJM Freedom Tour (organized by Venture Expeditions) from Cincinnati, Ohio, to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The group raised funds and awareness for International Justice Mission, visiting churches and other community groups to educate them about the realities of modern day slavery and human trafficking.

Rich's Ride, a Fort Collins-based nonprofit, uses Rich Dixon's love of handcycling to take a message of hope, dreams, and optimism to audiences across the country via a series of long-distance handcycle rides.

The rides provide a platform for Rich Dixon to speak at churches, schools, and community organizations about overcoming adversity and accomplishing big dreams.

Convoy of Hope is a faith-based hunger relief organization based in Springfield, Mo. They offer immediate aid to disaster victims, and also provide nutritional support to children and families around the world.

For more information about Rich's Ride presentation at Ridge Area Arc, call Maria Rivera at 452-1295 Ext. 115.