Grandville resident Grant Bergsma will ride his bicycle more than 3,500 miles, from California to Florida, to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). The five-week, cross-country adventure will begin November 1 in Los Angeles and is slated to conclude in Marco Island, Florida on December 7.
“It’s going to be a long trip but it’s a short amount of time compared to troops that will suffer from battle wounds mental and physical for the rest of their lives,” said Bergsma. “I am honored to have the opportunity to raise awareness and funds for this amazing charitable organization.” Photos courtesy of Grant Bergsma’s Facebook page.
WWP offers 20 holistic programs to wounded service members and their caregivers completely free of charge. To complete his goal, Bergsma plans to ride his bicycle approximately 100 miles per day. At night, the 30-year-old, Grandville native plans to sleep in a tree hammock and, whenever possible, stay with hosts he meets during his journey.
Bergsma’s interest in riding stemmed from turning a negative into a positive.
“I started riding about five years ago, out of necessity, after an irresponsible personal situation,” said Bergsma. “It was a tough time in my life, but through biking, I was able to create the necessary positive momentum to turn my life around.”
In 2013, Bergsma rode more than 1,400 miles from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Gainesville, Florida in an effort to raise money for the ALS Association. The charity was selected to honor a longtime family friend who died from Lou Gehrig’s disease in 2007.
Bergsma will be tracking his progress on social media. Donations can be made through GoFundMe or the WWP website.
