Charity cyclists stop in C.O. on cross-country ride to spotlight, meet need for better housing

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Fuller Center Bicycle Adventure riders are cycling 3,750 miles from the Atlantic the Pacific to fight poverty housing worldwide.

After a 43-mile ride from Prineville, they're taking a break in Bend before finishing the rest of their 10 week journey on Tuesday.

Due to the magnitude of the ride, it is broken up into rest periods every 20 miles, so they're not overly fatigued.

Even though the cyclists said the journey is taxing, they also emphasized how motivated and passionate they are about their mission to help build and repair homes.

One cyclist, Karen DeJoe, said Sunday the journey is an experience of a lifetime, and she gets to see the country in a way that most people can't. In addition to the cycling adventure impacting her life in positive ways, DeJoe said that it's a great feeling to know she helps change lives.

"We at the Fuller Center want to support the end of poverty housing, and we're about broadcasting that mission statement as we ride. And it's been wonderful to help people in need," DeJoe said.

Big Adventure Coordinator and cyclist Neil Mullikin said this has been his second long-distance ride, and it's a transformative experience.

"You know, we take comfort in laying our heads on a bed or a pillow, and sometimes we seek the comfort," Mullikin said. "We look at the stuff around us, and some people don't have those basic needs. When you can create that, you see almost instantly there's an empowerment, of, 'Hey, I was a part of this, too.'"

The riders were temporarily hosted at Foundry Church in Bend.