wfn.org | ELCA Pastor Continues U.S. Unicycle Trip

[News News <NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

July 9, 2002

ELCA PASTOR CONTINUES U.S. UNICYCLE TRIP
02-162-AW*

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Lars C. Clausen, Greenback, Wash., a
pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), is more
than halfway through a 5,000-mile trip from the Pacific to the
Atlantic coast riding a unicycle.  The purpose of Clausen's trip,
"One Wheel -- Many Spokes," is to raise money for the Alaska Seward
Peninsula Lutheran Endowment Fund and to raise awareness about the
Inupiat people.
     The Alaska Seward Peninsula Lutheran Endowment Fund was
created to support the ministries of the six Seward Peninsula ELCA
congregations, with a goal of raising $5 million.  The Seward
Peninsula is in west-central Alaska, stretching 200 miles into the
Bering Sea.
     The Inupiat are the Inuit people of northwestern Alaska.  Their
Lutheran roots date back more than 100 years and the Inupiat
traditions and values make them worthy of Lutheran support, said
Clausen.
     "They [the Inupiat people] are both fully native and fully
Lutheran," said Clausen in an interview here July 2.  "They have so
much strength and integrity.  Their most important tradition is
hospitality and taking care of every single person in the village."
     Clausen made an appearance at the ELCA churchwide offices here
to discuss the progress of the endowment fund and the ride itself.
By the time he reached Chicago, Clausen had ridden 3,300 miles from
his starting point in Neah Bay, Wash.
     Accompanying Clausen by van is his wife, Anne, their two
children, and friend Robert Martin (riding a unicycle) and Martin's
wife, Amy, and their two children.  Unicyclist Sara Okleasik, Nome,
Alaska, rode with the group for three weeks in June.
     Clausen is taking the unicycle trip while on leave from call.
The group travels during the day, spends most nights making
presentations about unicycling and the Inupiat people, and takes
Sundays off.
     Riding a unicycle all day is far from boring, said Clausen.
"People just open up and offer so much when they see you out there
riding," said Clausen.
     Clausen said he hopes the donations will be enough to generate
$1.49 per unicycle wheel rotation, filling the $5 million goal.
Clausen and Martin ride their unicycles 60 to 80 miles per day at a
rate of 10 miles per hour.  Clausen's trip is to end at the Statue of
Liberty in New York, after traveling through 22 states and 23 of the
ELCA's 65 synods.
     Upon completing the coast-to-coast trip, Clausen will set a
Guinness World Distance record for unicycling, surpassing the
record of 3,786 miles.
     The six ELCA congregations in Alaska's Seward Peninsula
Lutheran ministry are:
+ Alaska Native Lutheran Church, Anchorage
+ Brevig Memorial Lutheran Church, Brevig Mission
+ Our Saviors Lutheran Church, Nome
+ Shishmaref Lutheran Church, Shishmaref
+ Teller Lutheran Church, Teller
+ Thornton Memorial Lutheran Church, Wales
----
     The "One Wheel -- Many Spokes" campaign maintains a site with
route and donation information at http://www.onewheel.org on the Web.
There are also pages with information about the ministry and culture
of Alaska natives.

EDITORS: While Clausen is on the road, media contact will only be
possible via e-mail to his lars@onewheel.org address.  Leave a
phone number.

*Amy Wineinger is a junior at Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa.  This
summer she is an intern with ELCA News and Media Production.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html