CHICAGO (ELCA) -- After traveling 5,032 miles, the Rev. Lars J. Clausen, a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), finished a cross-country trip from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast riding a unicycle. The purpose of Clausen's ride, "One Wheel -- Many Spokes," was to raise money for the Seward Peninsula Lutheran Endowment Fund and to raise awareness of the Inupiat Lutheran Eskimos.
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.
Clausen started his ride April 29 in Neah Bay, Wash., and finished Aug. 10 at the Statue of Liberty in New York. Clausen was accompanied by his wife, Anne, their two children, and friend Robert Martin (riding a unicycle), Martin's wife Amy, and their two children. The last stretch of the trip up the east coast proved to be the most difficult, with 8 to10 percent inclines and winding roads, Clausen said in an e-mail update.
On Aug. 9, Clausen reached the Balto Statue in New York's Central Park. The statue had a special meaning to Clausen, because Balto was a famous lead sled dog in Alaska who helped bring diphtheria serum to Nome. Clausen and his family lived in Nome for three-and-one-half years when he was pastor at Our Saviors Lutheran Church. He is presently on leave from call.
Clausen made a stop at the site of the World Trade Center Aug. 10, the last day of the trip, where he took a "slow and wordless walk." When he reached the Statue of Liberty supporters, friends and family members greeted Clausen and his crew. After Sept. 11, seeing the Statue of Liberty took on an added significance, Clausen said in an ELCA Metropolitan New York Synod news release.
"I had already decided to have the Statue of Liberty as the goal of my unicycle ride," said Clausen. "This has become an American ride for me, not just a ride across the United States."
By the end of his unicycle ride, Clausen had ridden for 111 days with an estimated total of 2,819,000 pedals. The trip set a Guiness world record for distance on a unicycle after passing the 3,876-mile mark.
Although the goal of raising $5 million for the Fund was not met, Clausen said he is not discouraged. Offerings to the Fund from the ELCA's Global Mission Events this July totaled $8,711 and the Endowment now has $250,000.
"I had hoped that along with our goal of reaching the Statue of Liberty, we'd be reaching the $5 million mark for the Seward Peninsula Lutheran Endowment," Clausen said in an e-mail update. "While the money is not all there yet, I believe that the interest and commitment for the endowment is stronger than ever, strong enough to make this dream come true."
Clausen was on "The Early Show" on CBS-TV Aug. 13 to talk about the ride.
Later this week, Clausen and his family will start a trip back to California where Clausen grew up. He plans to unicycle most of the route, going through the southern states.
"On the ride back, we'll continue to speak out for how important the Seward Peninsula Lutheran ministry is, both on the Seward Peninsula and what it has to offer the rest of church and society," said Clausen.
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.
*Amy Wineinger is a junior at Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa. This
summer she is an intern with ELCA News and Media Productions.
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
