“There really is a falling apart of our school system,” says Father Ruhl.

Father Ruhl has served in Belize for 17 years and is pastor of St. Peter Claver Parish in Punta Gorda, located in the country’s Toledo district.

“Toledo is called the forgotten district,” he says. “It’s quite rural. It’s in the southernmost area. It’s also the poorest by far.”

As a pastor with 27 schools under his supervision, Father Ruhl says he has seen firsthand the poor condition the buildings are in. He mentions, for instance, extensive termite damage.

“I saw the unbelievable condition of these schools, and it became very clear to me that neither the general manager of the Catholic School’s Office, nor the bishop, nor anybody else had any money whatsoever to fix this. It’s not just the buildings; nutrition is a true issue. And then, of course, there are school supplies.”

While the government pays teachers’ salaries in the schools, the Catholic Church is responsible for infrastructure and for nutrition programs. With more than one-third of the country’s schools run by the Church, Father Ruhl describes the need as great.

“If the Catholic school system fails, the country fails,” he says.

Looking for a way to raise both awareness and money, Father Ruhl says he first considered a walk across the United States, from the easternmost point, which is West Quoddy Head, Maine, to Point Arena, California. Then, Susie Johnson, the wife of long-time friend Mike Johnson, who is one of the four cyclists, suggested a cross-country bike ride instead, pointing to the length of time a walk would take.

Instead of West Quoddy Head, the cyclists decided to start from the Portland Headlight and to conclude at a lighthouse in Santa Monica, California. They called the fundraiser the Lighthouse Ride Belize.

 “There’s a beautiful little lighthouse on the coast in Belize City, and the children at our schools in Belize, annually on Valentine’s Day, they do little lighthouse walks. Every child brings in a dollar, at minimum a dollar, which is quite a substantial sacrifice for most families in most of the schools down in Belize. Then, they walk around their track or their campus or whatever, supporting their Catholic education,” says Mike Johnson.

“A lighthouse is the Christian symbol for hope, and that’s what we’re all about. It jelled nicely with the jubilee year, Pilgrims of Hope. So, it all kind of came together, at least ideologically,” says Father Ruhl.

Father Ruhl previously biked from Seattle, Washington, to Key West, Florida, in support of Catholic Charities, and two of the other cyclists, Jeff Chattin and Tom Makarewicz, both have extensive cycling experience. Mike Johnson says he had never considered doing a trip like this before, but when he saw the need, he retired early to participate.

“We went down and kind of assessed the needs, gave it an eyeball look, and it’s glaring,” he says. “The need is huge.”

The foursome plans to cover about 50 miles a day over a period of 12 weeks. Their route takes them through upstate New York into Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and finally to California.  

“Everybody was interested in going down Route 66. There’s a lot written about it. It is lionized in song, and it’s a well-known bike trail with fairly good places to stay along the way,” says Johnson.

Fundraisers were held leading up to the ride, and the cyclists plan to meet with sponsors and benefactors as they travel in hopes of picking up additional support. Their goal is to raise five million dollars.

“It’s a little bit of a grassroots effort,” says Johnson. “We are literally reaching out to friends, family, neighbors, anybody along the way who shows an interest, explaining the need, explaining the mission, and asking for their support.”