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The worldwide bike action “World without orphans”. The end of the4th stage

The last, 4th stage of the worldwide bike action “World without orphans” that was going through the whole Russia has been completed. Starting with the year 2011 the partakers of the action have overcome the distance of 9320 miles. In July 30th the bikers arrived in the furthest point of Eurasian continent - the city of Vladivostok. These days the last participants of the action have come back to Ukraine to start getting ready for the next stage of the worldwide trip.

The last Eurasian stage of the unprecedented worldwide bike action “World without orphans” started in June 2014 in Baikalsk and ended in the very last day of July in Vladivostok. The distance of 3100 miles of this stage were conquered by 34 bikers – former street kids of Mariupol, and now adopted kids among them there were also HIV+ teens. The youngest partaker of the action is 12. The oldest is 60. Ahead of them was the manager of the action, the president of the fund “Pilgrim”, Pastor, adoptive father of 32 kids – Gennadiy Mokhnenko.

Gennadiy Mokhnenko, the president of the charity fund “Pilgrim”: Our team was growing along the way. We were joined by some new folks who wanted to support our dream in such a way, our dream that each orphan in the world can and must have a family instead of cold walls of an orphanage. For example one orphan from Moscow was riding with us, he read and heard a lot about us, he is adopted now, there are 6 more adopted children in his family. One teenager planned to ride one day with us, maximum 3 days but he continued to ride till the very end, he was asking us with tears in his eyes not to send him home. There also were some 15-year-old teens – former drug addicts who are on their rehabilitation in rehab center in Tomsk ( by the way the center was named after “Pilgrim” inspired by the visit to us in Mariupol. The boys are real warriors. Such things excite, ignite and they can’t stop and are ready to accomplish unthinkable”.

According to Gennadiy Mokhnenko the world wide bicycle trip is the best way to impart the idea of adoption to the enormous amount of people.

Gennadiy Mokhnenko: « I realize that the effect is huge. We ride with adopted sons, former street kids, also HIV+ kids are with us as well as those who were awarded by Pride of Ukraine award. When we tell our stories the audience is shocked. This bike action was supported on the state level. Mayors, governors, heads of different social structures, the social care centers, the directors of orphanages and boarding schools come and listen to us. I tell about our dreams, plans and they give reports about the work accomplished in the question of adoption in their area. It is a miracle indeed! We can be heard and read about by millions of people and they can change something in their lives, changed children’s lives. We gave hundreds of press – conferences, hundreds of Mass media asked us questions and our answers hear and read some more millions people. We saw dozens of thousands of human eyes. I am certain that our dream can come true!”

Within this distance of 3100 miles the bikers went through such big cities as Ulan Ude, Chita, Birobidjan, Khabarovsk, Ussuriisk and Vladivostok. They stopped at many town and villages on their way though. Very often the pilgrims had to ride through the way under heat, thunderstorms, impassibility of roads where they had to walk. As Gennadiy said at times they had to eat while being on the wheels in order not to waste time. In such a way the biker can overcome long distances during the day. The longest distance they conquered within one day was 133,5 miles. Te guys learnt how to determine the power of wind and its direction, landscape line to be able to count time and speed of the ride.

Beside the bike trip as itself the action called “Heart miles” is going on in which everyone who would like to can take a part. The logo of the action and any heroic action for the sake of the dream about the world without orphans – it is the contribution of the people all around the world in the big dream. Different people all around the world have participated in it and keep on taking part in it.

Gennadiy Mokhnenko: « Athletes, pop stars, priests, whole bike teams, just people who rode their bike a long way to support our action, kids and teens beat their own records and dedicate them to the orphan kids. We appreciate everyone who joined us in this or other way. We thank for prayers, for finances, for the organization of the whole process, that you assist locally and take part directly, that you listened to what we had to say and heard us, that you were making and are making the best decision in your life – to take an orphan in your family. The main reward is hundreds of children who can wake up today in their new family. And I am happy that somehow we played a part in that decision”.

For the next 2015 the organizers of the worldwide bike action “World without orphans” plan to cross a significant part through the American continent. The preliminary map of the trip goes through Alaska, the west coast of Canada, the west coast of the US, Mexico.