CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Lars C. Clausen, Greenback, Wash., a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), is more than halfway through a 5,000-mile trip from the Pacific to the Atlantic coast riding a unicycle. The purpose of Clausen's trip, "One Wheel -- Many Spokes," is to raise money for the Alaska Seward Peninsula Lutheran Endowment Fund and to raise awareness about the Inupiat people.
The Alaska Seward Peninsula Lutheran Endowment Fund was created to support the ministries of the six Seward Peninsula ELCA congregations, with a goal of raising $5 million. The Seward Peninsula is in west-central Alaska, stretching 200 miles into the Bering Sea.
The Inupiat are the Inuit people of northwestern Alaska. Their Lutheran roots date back more than 100 years and the Inupiat traditions and values make them worthy of Lutheran support, said Clausen.
"They [the Inupiat people] are both fully native and fully Lutheran," said Clausen in an interview here July 2. "They have so much strength and integrity. Their most important tradition is hospitality and taking care of every single person in the village."
Clausen made an appearance at the ELCA churchwide offices here to discuss the progress of the endowment fund and the ride itself. By the time he reached Chicago, Clausen had ridden 3,300 miles from his starting point in Neah Bay, Wash.
Accompanying Clausen by van is his wife, Anne, their two children, and friend Robert Martin (riding a unicycle) and Martin's wife, Amy, and their two children. Unicyclist Sara Okleasik, Nome, Alaska, rode with the group for three weeks in June.
Clausen is taking the unicycle trip while on leave from call. The group travels during the day, spends most nights making presentations about unicycling and the Inupiat people, and takes Sundays off.
Riding a unicycle all day is far from boring, said Clausen. "People just open up and offer so much when they see you out there riding," said Clausen.
Clausen said he hopes the donations will be enough to generate $1.49 per unicycle wheel rotation, filling the $5 million goal. Clausen and Martin ride their unicycles 60 to 80 miles per day at a rate of 10 miles per hour. Clausen's trip is to end at the Statue of Liberty in New York, after traveling through 22 states and 23 of the ELCA's 65 synods.
Upon completing the coast-to-coast trip, Clausen will set a Guinness World Distance record for unicycling, surpassing the record of 3,786 miles.
The six ELCA congregations in Alaska's Seward Peninsula Lutheran ministry are: + Alaska Native Lutheran Church, Anchorage + Brevig Memorial Lutheran Church, Brevig Mission + Our Saviors Lutheran Church, Nome + Shishmaref Lutheran Church, Shishmaref + Teller Lutheran Church, Teller + Thornton Memorial Lutheran Church, Wales ----
The "One Wheel -- Many Spokes" campaign maintains a site with route and donation information at http://www.onewheel.org on the Web. There are also pages with information about the ministry and culture of Alaska natives.
EDITORS: While Clausen is on the road, media contact will only be
possible via e-mail to his lars@onewheel.org address. Leave a
phone number.
*Amy Wineinger is a junior at Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa. This
summer she is an intern with ELCA News and Media Production.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
