Meals on Wheels of Loveland and Berthoud Volunteer is Crossing America by Bicycle for Veterans

Back in 2009, Bill Wallace, a regular Meals on Wheels volunteer, purchased a KonaJake bike at his daughter’s request. She had proposed that they ride the Colorado Peace Ride together. Bill had never really done much biking, so he was pleasantly surprised with how much he really enjoyed the event. “Riding was the best therapy after hip replacement!”

Since then, biking has become a part of Bill’s daily life. You can often find him riding the loop between Berthoud and Loveland, and occasionally, on the highways and byways beyond - throughout Northern Colorado, even as far as Laramie, WY.

When Bill retired in 2019, he began looking for ways to connect his pastime with a cause. As a former paratrooper and now vet, Bill was acutely aware of the issues that many Veterans face after leaving full-time service.

“When you’re serving, you’re on call - 24/7/365. Basic training can break you down. Many people can move on from the effects of life like that - but many can’t and need help adjusting back to civilian life. Help is lacking.”

Making a Plan and a World Record

Bill decided to connect his passion for biking to a fundraiser for Veterans' help and services. He reached out to the McKee Wellness Foundation because he knew that they supported a lot of Veterans' services. He discovered that the need for support was much greater and broader than he had imagined. Through his work with Meals on Wheels of Loveland and Berthoud, he also knew that many of the meal recipients had Veterans ties as well. He saw it as an opportunity to raise awareness and support through a variety of Veterans Support Organizations.

He set out to create a “pledge” fundraiser and informational website that could track a cross-country bike ride, and raise funds for the causes he was passionate about. He developed an itinerary that crisscrossed the country - approximately 3,186 miles- starting from his front door in Berthoud and heading east first towards Atlantic City. From there he plans to hop a plane to the California coast (Bay area), where he will complete his journey by heading west, back toward Colorado. 

If he completes the entire route, Bill will become the oldest person to cross America on a bike, and will hold a Guinness World Record!

A trip of this magnitude has included a lot of detailed planning. Bill has researched the topography of his route, stopping locations, and hotels (he’s choosing to stay in hotels so he doesn’t have to haul camping equipment). He decided to head east first because “the haul from Colorado to the Appalachians is all downhill”.

He has 50 stops planned, in total. After every 7 or 8 stops, he plans to take an extra day off to recuperate. He has a target start date of May 1, 2022, and hopes to be back home by the end of June or early July.

How can you get involved?

Bill will be keeping a travel blog every day throughout his journey. Followers will be able to check in on his adventures via his website: https://crossingamericabybicycle.com/

There is a variety of Veterans supporting organizations that Bill suggests pledging to in honor of his ride: McKee Wellness Foundation, Rotary, Optimist International of Summit-Lake Dillon, and our very own Meals on Wheels of Loveland and Berthoud.

Pledges for Bill’s trip can be donated as a flat amount, a per- amount, or a per-day amount. Making a pledge is a two-step process: 

1. Fill out the pledge form on Bill’s website, indicating how much you wish to pledge and to which organization you are pledging.

2. At the end of his trip, Bill will update you with the final travel information, then you can donate to your chosen organization via the links on his website.

He asks that you fill out the pledge form so he knows who is donating to his cause.

Safe travels, Bill!

We are grateful for volunteers like Bill who live into our mission every day. This is a huge undertaking, and we are honored that Bill has chosen our organization as one of his benefactors. The monies he raises on this trip will help our staff and volunteers to continue the important work we do - nourishing lives with independence and dignity.

Thank you, Bill - have safe travels on this most awesome adventure!

You can follow posts about Bill’s trip on our Meals on Wheels of Loveland and Berthoud Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.