An exciting ride to celebrate a number of significant happenings will begin for local grandfather, Arvid Loewen, on Monday, May 20.

Mully Children's Family (MCF) is an organization that began with the mission of rescuing children from the streets in Kenya, providing them with education, a place to stay, and a new lease on life. Since their inception 30 years ago, MCF has rescued and helped 15,000 children complete their programs in Kenya and Tanzania.

Loewen is a full-time volunteer and long-time cyclist for MCF. To-date, he has ridden a total of 400,000 kilometres on behalf of MCF and raised over $4 million. Beginning Victoria Day, he will begin a ride lasting 15,000 kilometres, one kilometre "in honour and celebration of each of the 15,000 lives that have been changed."

The ride will celebrate several momentous occasions, including the thirtieth anniversary of MCF, and the fifteenth anniversary of Loewen and his wife's involvement with MCF.

Most of Loewen's ride, he says, will take place north of Winnipeg on the stretch of Henderson Highway between Hoddinott Road and Lockport, a loop that the cyclist will cover 500 times.

Loewen will also celebrate the 70th birthday of Charles Mulli, the founder of MCF, with his ride.

In honour of such significant events, Loewen says he is opening up his ride for others to join him. During the time that he will ride his 15,000 kilometres, he is inviting 70 riders as individuals or family units to accompany him by completing their own rides of a target 1000 kilometres and fundraising $1.00 per kilometre to go towards supporting the work of MCF.

Loewen also invites others to come and connect with the first three children from MCF that he took part in transporting across Canada in 2005. He hopes that all three will be able to attend a large program at North Kildonan Mennonite Brethren Church on August 8, the anticipated final day of his ride.

A trip that Loewen and his wife, Ruth, took in 2006 to visit MCF in Kenya first convicted the couple of their necessary involvement in the work being done by the organization. Given his history of athletic performance, Loewen left his stable job of 31 years to become a full-time supporter of MCF through cycling fundraisers.

Given the chance, Loewen says they would partner again with MCF "in heartbeat."

"I have been there five times, and through all these times, we interact with the kids," Loewen explained. "There has never been a time where a child has come to me and said, 'Grandpa Arvid, your effort, your sacrifice... my life, I'm not worth that kind of commitment, that kind of effort.'

"If we truly believe that each child is created in the image of God, then really, no amount of sacrifice that we ever make will truly exceed the value of a child."