DULUTH, Minn. — An Iowa man rode his bike more than 550 miles to Duluth to raise money for a local cafe fighting food insecurity.
Barry Schreier began his journey at the University of Iowa.
Barry Schreier is a professor of psychology at the University of Iowa. For the past seven years, Schreier has traveled across the United States for various charitable causes.
This year, he partnered with Agape Cafe, an Iowa City staple that has been providing free hot breakfasts to homeless and food insecure people for the past 30 years.
“I live in an area where there’s a lot of giving and charitable giving,” Schreier said, “so I felt inspired to do the same.”
Schreier began her journey from the University of Iowa on July 21 and arrived in Duluth on Friday, July 26. On this year’s charity trip, Schreier raised $8,285, exceeding her original goal of $7,500.
“This run has seen us cover approximately 4,800 miles and raise nearly $60,000,” Schreier said when asked about the impact on overall fundraising efforts.
This week’s heatwave didn’t help Schreier’s journey: It wasn’t until the second day of his trip that he had to seek shelter in someone’s barn to escape the rain.
But the question remains as to why Duluth was the final destination. Schreier says that when he cycles across the country for a cause, he usually chooses a more distant destination. But it was a Duluth slogan he saw online that drew his attention north: “We hope you love this place as much as we do.”
“One of the things I think about Agape Cafe is they love this organization. The people who run it really love this organization and they want other people to connect with them and love Agape Cafe as much as they do,” Schreier said. “I thought Duluth would be the perfect location for an Agape Cafe charity ride.”
More than 550 miles away, Schreier reached the end of a new journey.
But Schreier’s charity ride is over, and Barry is enjoying his ride home without having to pedal hard for more than 550 miles.
“I may not be the fastest guy on the road, but I’m definitely the most patient,” Schreier said. “I knew I’d get here somehow.”
Donations are still being accepted on Schreier’s Agape Café’s GoFundMe page. To donate, click here.
