2024 Ride - September 30-October 4
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Description of Ride
The 10th Annual Bike Ride for Haiti begins Monday, September 30. The Outreach to Haiti team of riders are once again riding 337 miles, the length of one tip of Haiti to another, over 5 days. The riders will begin in Maine and ride their way to Connecticut through New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. During the ride, they will visit some of the parishes and schools in Connecticut that are twinned through Outreach to Haiti with parishes, orphanages, and schools in Haiti. This includes a visit to St. Patrick's Cathedral and the Cathedral School in Norwich.
The purpose of the ride is to raise awareness and funds to support our mission in Haiti. Outreach to Haiti has been in Haiti for almost 40 years, serving the poor in the Christ Roi (Christ the King) community of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas with a healthcare clinic, food and nutrition programs, education programs, developing and maintaining twinning relationships, cultural immersion trips, and the FAK program, which empowers women to start their own businesses. Our motto is Helping Haitians Help Haitians, and Outreach to Haiti is truly saving and changing lives in Haiti. More information about Outreach to Haiti can be found on other pages of this website.
Donations from this ride are being earmarked for our nutrition program and the dental clinic building fund. Our medical staff in Haiti has identified the dental program as one of the greatest needs for the Outreach to Haiti clinic. Work is underway to further strengthen this program, and donations from the bike ride will help with this effort. We have also heard from our medical staff that more is needed to support the infant and expectant mothers’ nutritional program.
The people we serve in Haiti ARE IN GREAT NEED OF OUR SUPPORT. Due to the political and social unrest, the demand for our services and the challenges associated with delivering those services have increased significantly. Despite these challenges, and with your help, our staff in Haiti heroically continues to maintain services to their community.
Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers for a safe and successful ride (and an occasional continual tail wind would be nice!)
These are the daily rides (subject to change):
Day 1 - Kittery to Corncord, MA - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41315329
Day 2 - Concord to West Warwick, RI - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41870308
Day 3 - West Warwick to East Hampton, CT - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47053821
Day 4 - East Hampton to Westbrook, CT - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48417524
Day 5 - Wallingford, CT to Farmington, CT - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44421829
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Daily Summaries
Each day, energy and time permitting, we will post a brief description of the day's ride here. We will leave the description of the overall ride at the bottom, and, of course, you can find the donate button on this page, or on the Outreach to Haiti home page. SEE BELOW!
Also, you can “like” Outreach to Haiti on Facebook to get updates, photos, and live videos.
Ride Starts on Monday at 9:00!
We're excited to start our ride, and are motivated by the people of Haiti, who never give up, by Outreach to Haiti staff and volunteers, and by all the people who have donated to the bike ride and who have expressed their support! Our friends and family have been very generous with donations, and this, along with the great work Outreach to Haiti does to help people help themselves motivates us to do this ride.
September 30 - Day 1
First day of the 10th Ride for Haiti! The first day is always exciting – after all the planning, we get to ride. We’re starting with three riders today: Dan O’Sullivan, Ron Paine, and me (Tom Campbell), all returning from last year’s ride, and we are expecting two other riders to join us at different times later in the week.
We are also very blessed to have Dorothy Paine join us. She will be providing support for the entire week. Thank you, Dorothy – we can’t do this without you!
We started right at 8:50 am. Here is the group photo just before heading out – Tom, Dan, Ron, and Dorothy.
Today's weather was perfect: 60 degrees at the start going up to 70, and sunny with some clouds. We rode to the south and west from Kittery, ME to Concord, MA, and winds were generally from the ENE – so, a bit of a welcome tail wind.
The first part of the ride took us south, over the drawbridge on the Piscataqua River into New Hampshire, through Portsmouth, along the NH coast, and through Hampton Beach. A very scenic ride.
Piscataqua River Atlantic Ocean at Hampton Beach
After stopping at the 24-mile mark (thanks Dorothy!), we headed over the Merrimack River and along the Culver City Bike Trail in Newburyport, MA. From there we took a slightly different route versus past years through Georgetown and Andover, MA to the Bruce Freedman Trail to Concord. Along the way, we took another break - at the 50 mile mark.
Ron, Tom, and Dan taking a break
The trail is in great shape, and was recently extended over Rte. 2 in Concord, MA. This allowed us to avoid what is a very busy rotary to get to our hotel.
Pond along the Bruce Freeman Trail
We arrived at the hotel in Concord MA at around 3:20 - safe and happy. On the day, we rode 75 miles - a long, but successful ride.
Tomorrow we are riding to Warwick RI, along four different bike trails, as well as a stretch along the Providence Harbor. Stay tuned!
October 1 - Day 2
We started a few minutes early - around 8:45. A nice morning – 58 degrees and a bit overcast. We started in Concord, MA and rode into Rhode Island, riding on four different bike trails. The biggest unknown was how we well we would ride today, after collectively doing well on Monday.
Here we are just before leaving the hotel in Concord (Ron, Dan, and Tom):
We started on the Bruce Freedman Bike Trail (first of four trails), thinking that the recent addition to the trails would cover the first 7 miles. We found that a portion of the trail wasn’t ready yet, so we had to detour around that and reconnect to the trail a bit further down. This added some hills to the ride, but it was early and we had the energy!
Next we made our way through busy roads to the Upper Charles Trail (second trail) in Holliston MA. We started that trail at mile 20, right after our first break (thank Dorothy!). Here we are at our break eating, having some fun, and chillaxing!
The Upper Charles Trail is mostly packed dirt - but firm enough for our road bike – and the last few miles were paved. This gave us a break from the traffic and allowed us to ride at a bit more leisurely pace. We encountered many people walking (lots of dogs), so it seems like a very active trail. What a great resource for the folks in that area!
We then made our way into RI on a very busy Rte 126 and we headed towards the Blackstone River Trail (the third trail). But first Dorothy met us again – this time at the head of the trail with a restock of drinks, and sandwiches. The trail runs through several towns in RI – Woonsocket, Cumberland, and Lincoln – and is right between the river and railroad tracks. The trail is paved and was a very nice ride. The trail had a reputation (at least to us) of being bumpy due to tree roots, but that changed during COVID and now the trail is fun to ride. It’s also very scenic.
Two different waterfalls on the Blackstone River
We picked up a bit of a headwind on the trail, and it continued for most of the rest of the ride. The temperture was increasing throughout the day, but with the wind and cloudy skies, it stayed cool. I noted after the ride that it was the coldest 68 degrees I ever experienced!
After we left the Blackstone River Trail, we continued to Providence (the one in RI, as my brother Joe likes to say), along city streets marked as bike trails (a few streets had dedicated lanes). The plan was to ride along the Seekonk River towards the harbor in Providence, which would have taken us under the Washington Bridge (Rt. 195), but unfortunately there was construction as part of the bridge rebuild (the westbound bridge collapsed earlier this year). We had to improvise on city streets, but we were able to make it to the Providence Harbor area (also called India Point Park) in good time. Dorothy was there to take a few pictures, and we got to say hi again.
A few photos from Indian Point Park:
We then made our way along the streets of Providence to the last trail. The city did a good job of making the street cycle friendly, and we took advantage of that. We crossed the Providence River on the Michael S Van Leesten Memorial Bridge, a pedestrian and bike only bridge - very nice! We also found dedicated bike lanes on very busy streets – this allowed us to avoid the traffic and make good time.
This took us to the fourth trail, the Washington Secondary Trail, in Warwick, where we rode the first 6 miles of that trail. Another nice trail – it was newly repaved, which allowed us to go at the fastest pace of the day. We are certainly looking forward to riding the remaining 13 miles on this trail tomorrow.
Our hotel was a short distance from the trail, and we arrived around 3:55. Here we are at the end of the ride:
Total distance today - 69 miles.
Tomorrow we are riding to the house of our good friends, the Huberts, in East Hampton CT, along the rest of the Washington Secondary Trail and parts of the Airline Trail (and a couple of hills). Stay tuned!
October 2 - Day 3
Today was probably the hardest day of the ride (I know – we have two more days that may disprove that). We rode 72.1 miles, from West Warwick, RI to East Hampton, CT, and had the highest elevation gain (hills) of the 5 days. We started a little late today – at about 9:15. We’ve had consistent weather this week – temperatures in the high 50 in the morning, going up to high 60s or low 70s, and cloudy skies - and today was no exception. Tim MacLachlan joined Dan, Ron and me for the day – Tim has been with us in the past, so it was good to see him again!
Here we are at the hotel in West Warwick before the ride (Ron, Tom, Tim, and Dan):
We started on the Washington Secondary Trail for the first 14 miles. It was uphill, but the grade was low (it is a converted rail line), so very rideable. This part of the trail was more scenic than the section of the trail we rode yesterday.
Next, after a quick break, we took Routes 117 and 14 into Connecticut, and then turned onto some rural roads. This section included winding, and up and down hills. The strategy was to sprint downhill and use the momentum to help climb the next uphill, but of course that didn’t always work! We were heading towards the Moosup Valley Rail Trail, which we thought was recently paved. But while the trail was nicely graded and covered with crushed stone, we found that the paved areas were only before and after the trail crossed a roadway. When we were mapping the ride, we used Google Maps Streetview to see where the trail was paved, and since Streetview only shows where the trail crosses a roadway, it looked like it was fully paved (go figure)! But it was rideable, scenic, and it helped us avoid traffic and hills on Routes 14 and 14A, so we made the right choice.
Near the trailhead Riders at the end of the trail
After another break (thanks Dorothy!) we headed towards Norwich in what was the steepest part of our ride. It started with winding (up and down) roads and then one long uphill portion – it was about a 4-mile stretch, but it felt a lot longer! The good news is that it was followed by a down hill portion. That was about 2.5 miles long, but of course it seemed shorter!
Waterfall in Occum CT
We then rode east through Bozrah and Colchester, CT towards the Airline Trail. We met Jim Hubert on the Airline Trail, and he rode with us for the last 10 miles. Jim, who is 82, is riding 62 miles today and tomorrow – more on that later! The Airline Trail, which is unpaved, runs through central CT. It is rideable and very scenic, and it helps us avoid hills and traffic.
We arrived at the Hubert’s house just after 4:00, and Jim and Mary Ann provided a wonderful meal and great hospitality.
Tom, Dan, Tim, Jim, and Ron at the end of the day
Tomorrow we are riding to St. Patrick Cathedral in Norwich, then to St. Mark’s in Westbrook. Jim will be join us on the ride to Norwich.
October 3 - Day 4
Joining Ron, Dan, and Tom for today's ride was Jim Hubert, who was riding with us for the first part of today's ride. We are riding to the Cathedral in Norwich to meet the bishop’s representative and the students and staff at the Cathedral School. At the start of the ride, it was 58 degrees, but it got up into the 70s with some sun but mostly cloudy.
Here we are at the start - Ron, Jim, Tom, and Dan:
Before getting into the ride, we want to thank Jim and Mary Ann for their wonderful hospitality. We always look forward to staying at their home, and last night’s dinner (and the company) was incredible. The view from their house is wonderful!
Beautiful Lake Pocotopaug
We started closer to Norwich so we could make an early meet time. The first few miles were downhill, and the road was in the shade. So, it was a little cold until we got into the sun and had a chance to build up a sweat to generate some heat.
When we arrived at the Cathedral we got a nice reception. The entire school - students and staff - came out to greet us with signs, high fives, and lots of smiles (the students were happy to be outside on such a nice day). This was very encouraging, and one of the highlights of the week!
Enjoying the company of the students and staff
After saying good-bye to Jim, who rode a total of 62 miles (great job, Jim!), we were on our way to St. Mark’s Church in Westbrook. Now, if you are familiar at all with this part of Connecticut, you know that it can be quite hilly. Every year we try to find the optimal mix of distance and elevation gain for this segment, considering we are at about 250 miles for the week at this point. We found the best route so far – there was a one-mile stretch where we encountered very steep hills, but the rest of the way was manageable. Good thing, because our legs were really feeling the effects of yesterday’s ride and the accumulation of miles for the week.
Once we reached Old Lyme and Route 1, we headed towards the Baldwin Bridge, over the Connecticut River. This bridge is part of I-95, with a protected bike/walking lane.
View from the Baldwin Bridge
We had about 15 miles left, and we rode around Saybrook Point - a very beautiful section with a causeway, beaches, and beautiful homes.
One of the many scenic views from Saybrook Point
After leaving Old Saybrook, we hit a couple of hills on our way to St. Mark's and we arrived at 3:00 - about 30 minutes ahead of our estimated time. This was due to a combination of a good pace and beautiful weather. We had the second great reception of the day at St. Mark's – from their Walk with Haiti Committee. They greeted us with a snacks, some nice conversation, and they presented us with a very generous donation!
Visit at St. Mark's in Westbrook, CT
Total distance today – 62 miles.
Tomorrow is the final day of this year's ride. We will visit Mercy High School in Middletown, and then head to St. Patrick in Farmington to finish the ride. Stay tuned!
October 4 - Day 5
Two thoughts came to mind for today’s ride. First, it is the last day of this year’s ride, and second, it’s not raining – in fact, the weather was gorgeous today. We had great weather all week, but today was the best. If you followed our ride last, you may recall our Friday ride was affected by pouring rain. This year, we were essentially riding the route we planned to ride last year. You can see the contrast in weather in these two photos taken a year apart.
We were also looking forward to our visit to Mercy High School, which happened early in the day. We started at 9:00 with sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 50's (it warmed up quite a bit after we got started). On the way to Mercy HS, we rode by Lyman Orchards and Wadsworth Falls State Park (pictured below). It was a very picturesque ride. Fall has arrived!
On arrival at Mercy High School, we received a very spirited welcome. If you follow Outreach to Haiti on Facebook (see the link at the top of this page), you can see the video.
During our visit to Mercy, we met a student from Haiti (pictured above right, speaking to the riders). She is a sophomore who came to live in the United States a year ago and is now attending Mercy. She told us she didn’t know any English when she arrived, and yet today she speaks perfect English – talking with her friends and fellow students helped her quite a bit. The school staff told us she works very hard and gets good grades. She told us her favorite parts about the United States (beside the opportunity to attend Mercy) are the change of seasons and Chipotle restaurant! It’s a story we hear again and again at Outreach to Haiti – when given the opportunity to get an education, the people of Haiti will work hard and do well. (Note that Outreach was not involved in her coming to the US or her enrollment at Mercy.)
After a short break and refreshments, we left Mercy, we headed through Middletown, Middlefield, Durham, and Cheshire (all in CT) to get to the Farmington Valley Heritage Trail. We took a break at the parking area where we ended last year’s ride, adjacent to the trail. See the contrast of today's ride versus last year's in the rain!
Today's ride Last year's ride in the rain!
We then headed through Southington and Plainville on the trail towards Farmington. The trail is where I used to ride when I lived in the area, so it was special for me to be back there.
We arrived at St. Patrick Church in Farmington at 2:45 to another wonderful greeting and a reception in the church hall. The greeting was not as loud as the one from Mercy HS, but it was definitely heartfelt and enthusiastic! You can see a video of that greeting on the Outreach to Haiti Facebook page (see the link at the top of this page).
Ron, Jim, Tom, and Dan at St. Patrick Church - we're done!
Total miles for the day - 59.2; Total for the week - 337.2!
Thank you!
We have a lot to be thankful for. We thank God for our health to be able to do this, our safe passage during the ride, and the fellowship amongst the riders and those we met along the way. We’re also thankful for no flat tires and no major mechanical issues along the way.
There are so many people to thank for the success of the ride. First, the riders - Jim, Dan, Ron, Tom, and Tim. A great effort, and it was wonderful spending time together, struggling together, cheering each other on.
Thank you to the donors. While many are repeat donors, there are several new ones. Spreading the word of our mission in Haiti is part of the reason for the ride, and it is great to see new donors, and even better to see repeat donors who learn about the mission and believe in it. In all, there are over 100 people who have donated this year - THANK YOU!
What is inspiring to me is when I thank someone who donated to the ride, and the response is "no - thank you for doing this." Responses like these keep us going!
A special thank you to our wives (and Mom) – Mary Ann, Jan, Dorothy, Lynn, and Rebecca, who encouraged us and prayed for us during the week.
We thank the parishes and the school that reached out and met us, giving us great receptions and send-offs - Mercy High School, St Patrick's Cathedral School in Norwich, St. Mark's/St. Pio's in Westbrook, and St. Patrick Church in Farmington. Thank you for your warm welcomes!
Finally, a very, very special thanks to Dorothy Paine. Dorothy was with us the whole week, encouraging us, praying with us, making sure we were hydrated and nourished, and she took most of the videos on Facebook and the photos in this ride summary (and many more). We wouldn’t have done this year's ride, nor would we have made it to the end without you! Thank you, Dorothy!
What all of you have contributed helps move the mission in Haiti forward and helps to improve the lives of deserving Haitians every day.
Donations are still coming in - it is not too late! Please, please, please - if you haven't already donated, do so now - click here
Can't wait for next year's ride!
Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts, and God bless you.
