Beloit man rides his bike for 24 hours to raise funds for Catholic education – Madison Catholic Herald

BELOIT — Martin Reza, the father of three students at Our Lady of the Assumption (OLA) School in Beloit, is doing his part to help other parents get a Catholic education for their children.

In addition to volunteering for the school’s monthly taco fundraiser, for the past two years he has spent his summers biking in southern Wisconsin to raise money for OLA’s tuition assistance program.

In his first year, he cycled 250 miles and raised $7,000. In his sophomore year, he cycled 300 miles and raised $10,000. This year, however, he plans to cycle a full 24 hours and estimates he’ll complete a 340-mile ride. The goal this year is to raise $10,000.

For comparison, Reza said that professional athletes generally don’t bike more than 100 miles in an average long-distance marathon.

A challenge

“It’s a very, very challenging ride,” said Reza. “It’s kind of like driving from Beloit to Green Bay and back, but the route will be south [part] of the state.”

The ride, billed as the 24-hour drive for education, begins at 12 noon on Saturday, June 24 and ends at 12 noon the following day, leaving Reza only room for short breaks to eat, drink and Nurse lets himself, although he says he doesn’t plan to sleep.

Principal Trevor Seivert said: “When [Reza] When I suggested the idea of ​​a 24-hour bike ride, my first thought was, ‘You’re crazy.’ My second thing is that I was seriously worried about his safety but he was just like that for me to understand. I can do it. I’ve always wanted to do this and what better way to do it than for school.’”

Reza said he has been cycling for 20 years.

“I’ve raced and competed in all sorts of events,” he said. “I train outdoors year-round, and you know the winter here in Wisconsin—biking isn’t a winter sport, but I still train. I literally only do 5 percent of my training indoors.”

However, Reza will not be without support. A support vehicle accompanies him on his journey, provides him with the necessary supplies and finally ensures that someone is watching over his safety.

Outside of cycling, Reza said his life is pretty normal. “I have a normal job, I have three children and I have normal responsibilities. I’m a cradle Catholic, so I try to pray the rosary every morning; our nightly family prayer.”

OLA support

Part of Reza’s passion for supporting other families at the school comes from his appreciation for what the school offers.

“About three or four years ago [Reza], along with 32 other students, actually came to OLA because their school and church just over the border in South Beloit had closed,” Seivert said. “We welcomed all of these families to OLA [at] how much tuition they had in their former church. We felt they were losing their school, but we didn’t want them to lose their Catholic education.”

However, this decision to help these families came at the cost of tuition.

“The tacos along with [Reza’s] Ride for Education meets almost half of the student aid needs,” Seivert said.

Last school year, approximately $56,000 was spent on tuition for approximately 54 students from low-income families.

Meanwhile, Seivert said OLA’s enrollment is the highest in the seven years he’s been a director.

“We’re up to 168 students this school year,” said Seivert. “Because of families like [the Rezas]we will continue to offer Catholic education to many of our families.”

Visit olalabeloit.com/ride/ to view the bike route and donate to education for the 24-hour ride. Donations will be accepted from now until a few weeks after the event.