Endorphins and Service

Lisa Brown wanted a way to combine her love of physical activity with a desire to serve others. The 16th annual Habitat 500 summer bike ride made this possible.

Brown is a junior health and exercise science major, an accomplished javelin thrower on the women’s track and field team, and a student employee in the athletic office. She wanted a way to use her athletic abilities to contribute to a cause.

Brown heard about the ride in her hometown of Lake Crystal, Minn., where a local man completed it two years in a row. “Hearing his story got me interested in the ride, so I decided to register and give it a try,” Brown said.

The weeklong event runs July 13-19 and is a 500-mile trip. Brown and the other bikers will start and finish in Monticello, making a loop through Foley, New London, and other towns nearby. The 135 bike riders range in age from 13 to 65 years old.

Freewill donations and pledges from individuals and organizations fund all the supplies for the seven-day trip, including food, overnight stays, and other necessities. Brown chose to host a spaghetti supper at her home church to encourage people to donate and get involved.

This year’s ride also celebrates the building of the 1,600th Habitat for Humanity home in Minnesota. This landmark house will also be the third annual “bike.home”—a Habitat home built near the Soo Line bike trail and designed to meet “green” initiatives. The Habitat family chosen to live in the home will also receive a donation of bikes and bicycle supplies.

Since its founding in 1976, Habitat for Humanity has built 225,000 houses, providing shelter for more than 1 million people in nearly 90 countries throughout the world. A new Habitat house is completed somewhere in the world every 21 minutes

“I chose Habitat because it is a solid organization with clear goals and obvious accomplishments. I am also a person who likes to do physical things and stay active, and this ride seemed like the perfect opportunity to combine that aspect with volunteering. It’s like getting endorphins from service.”

Registration for the ride is still open and volunteers are also needed for the week of the event. Visit the official website for more information.