Eight or nine months out of the year, Bobby Curlee lives in Haiti and other countries outside of the United States. The ordained minister has gone to Haiti on several occasions on different mission trips. He’ll rise early today and begin a cross country motorcycle ride with three other local men in hopes of raising money for “Hogs for Haiti,” a fundraising ride that will provide for Lifeline Christian Mission’s new children’s home in Haiti.
Lifeline is a non-denominational international Christian organization that works to meet the physical and spiritual needs of people around the world. The organization was founded in 1980 and is based in Westerville, Ohio.
Curlee, of Faith, is Lifeline Christian Mission’s plant manager. Curlee organized the ride that will cover more than 8,500 miles along with Wayne Mosher, Ken Small, Dave Blackburn. There will be others who’ll join the men along the journey.
The self-professed “scruffy old dudes” will leave from Salisbury’s Tilley Harley Davidson around 7 a.m. and travel down through South Carolina, along the Gulf Coast, through Arizona, California, onto Washington, Wyoming, through South Dakota and to Chicago, West Virginia and back to North Carolina.
Mosher is from Granite Quarry, Small is from Concord and Blackburn is from Mocksville and all are members of the Christian Motorcyclist Association.
“We do rides with that group, but never has a group undertaken a ride this big,” Curlee said.
He said everyone has ridden a few days at a time, but this ride is expected to be 23 days at 370 miles a day.
Lifeline Christian Mission’s children’s home will provide a place for 76 children as well as take care of their food and medical needs. The Mission has 16 churches and 14 schools in Haiti that it provides funds for through donations and fundraisers like this one to maintain medical, dental and eye clinics.
The men will pay their own way to stay in hotels and camps, but will also rely on friends and churches along the way for meals and housing.
All donations will go 100 percent to the children’s home, which is under construction in Grand Goave, Haiti.
The ride is an opportunity to pay it forward, give from what the men have been given, raise awareness about the needs in Haiti and serve the children there, Curlee said.
Curlee went on a mission trip about 10 years ago and saw a big need that “I felt that’s where I needed to be,” he said.
He is also a licensed contractor, does information technology, heavy mechanic work and maintains the properties.
To keep up with the Hogs for Haiti ride, visit Facebook.com/HogsforHaiti to receive regular updates on the journey. For more information about Lifeline Christian Mission, visit www.lifeline.org.