JOPLIN, Mo. —
A springtime bicycle ride being organized by Rebuild Joplin will benefit survivors of three major natural disasters: the May 2011 Joplin tornado, last year’s Superstorm Sandy and 2005’s Hurricane Katrina.
“It doesn’t matter where you’re from,” said Jerrod Hogan, director of Rebuild Joplin. “Our organization values people and values getting them home.”
Riders will depart Joplin on Thursday, June 20, and ride approximately 800 miles over the course of 10 days through Bentonville, Ark., Little Rock, Ark., Jackson, Miss., and Baton Rouge, La., to their final destination of New Orleans. Several fundraising events, such as barbecues or meet-and-greets, are being tentatively planned at stops along the way.
Hogan said the goal of the bike ride — dubbed “Jomonola,” a mash-up of abbreviations for Joplin, Mo., and New Orleans, La. — is to raise $150,000. One-third of that amount, a total of $50,000, is expected to stay local to support Rebuild Joplin, a nonprofit organization that constructs housing for survivors of the 2011 tornado.
Another $50,000 will go to the St. Bernard Project, a New Orleans-based nonprofit that assists in recovery efforts for communities affected by natural disaster and for housing projects for survivors of Hurricane Katrina. According to the project’s website, 8,000 New Orleans families still can’t afford to rebuild their homes following the 2005 hurricane.
The final $50,000 sum will go to East Coast organizations helping families who have been impacted by Superstorm Sandy, which struck late last October.
Hogan said anyone who wants to ride would be required to participate in fundraising, including some online projects being planned before the ride begins. There are also cyclists who have held training sessions in recent weekends to help riders physically prepare for the trip, he said.
“It’s not a race; it’s a ride,” he said. “If you get tired one day, we’ll be able to pull over and take a slower pace, but at the end of the day, it’s an 800-mile trip on the itty-bitty seat of a bike.”
The idea for Jomonola originated with Providence, R.I., resident Jim Feeney, who has spent several years volunteering in the New Orleans area with the St. Bernard Project, Hogan said. After the 2011 tornado struck Joplin, Feeney spent a few days volunteering here.
Feeney, an avid cyclist who has completed two cross-country rides as well as one ride around the perimeter of the country, plans to participate in the Jomonola ride, Hogan said.
To participate
Those who want to participate in the bike ride from Joplin to New Orleans may call Rebuild Joplin at 623-0065. The group is also seeking corporate sponsorships and support, director Jerrod Hogan said.
Local News
Rebuild Joplin plans ride to New Orleans
- Local News
-
-
Missouri Prairie Foundation plans BioBlitz for June 1-2 at prairies in Barton, Vernon counties
The Missouri Prairie Foundation’s Denison and Lattner prairies in Vernon and Barton counties will be the focus on Saturday and Sunday, June 1 and 2, of the fourth annual Prairie BioBlitz.
-
Stream sampling in Jasper County finds elevated levels of E. coli
Stream sampling conducted just before the Memorial Day weekend by the Jasper County Health Department found elevated levels of E. coli in every stream and river tested. Twenty-one sites were tested on May 22, following heavy rains earlier in the week.
-
Families, friends invited to honor veterans with flags this weekend
Small lengths of plastic pipe have been installed behind the headstones of veterans graves in Joplin cemeteries so that every veteran will have a flag on Memorial Day.
-
Mike Pound: Writing column like making pasta
It’s Friday afternoon as I’m typing this and my wife is worried. She’s not worried about what I’m typing; she gave up worrying about that a long time ago. Besides, my wife knows that even though I’m typing right now, I likely don’t have a clue what I’m writing.
-
Joplin to New Orleans bike tour to raise money for disaster victims
Louis Niewald will travel 800 miles on a bicycle next month, pedaling from Joplin to New Orleans. He’ll have a lot to think about along the way. Niewald was returning to Joplin on May 22, 2011, when sirens sounded and an EF-5 tornado began grinding its way across the city.
-
Joplin photo rescue effort gears up to help Moore storm victims
A photo rescue operation based in Carthage that helped salvage and return thousands of pictures after the 2011 tornado in Joplin is reaching out to storm victims in Moore, Okla.
-
Events, activities to honor veterans planned in Joplin area on Monday
No Memorial Day ceremonies are planned at Joplin cemeteries this year or at Mount Hope Cemetery in Webb City, but a number of other events are scheduled in cities around the region.
-
Area pools ready for plunge; Schifferdecker opening still to be announced
Though this week’s mild temperatures may not signal swim season, most area pools are ready anyway. And, the mercury should rise a little this weekend to help those anxious to dive in. Highs will be in the low 80s today and Sunday. There is a chance for isolated thunderstorms on Monday, but the thermometer should hit 82 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
-
Joplin School Board decision could take up to two weeks; Turner remains on paid leave
It could take up two weeks for the Joplin Board of Education to decide whether Randy Turner’s teaching contract should be terminated, the school district’s attorney, John Nicholas, said Friday.
-
Joplin insurance agent seeks donations for Moore, Okla.
After losing an office building and her home in the tornado on May 22, 2011, Loretta Bailey is familiar with the destruction that a tornado brings. The 400 households that her insurance agency helped through the aftermath of the tornado also know that loss. \
- More Local News Headlines
-
Missouri Prairie Foundation plans BioBlitz for June 1-2 at prairies in Barton, Vernon counties
