Two men's 100-mile bike ride for human trafficking victims turns into even bigger event in western suburbs
CHICAGO (CBS) -- What began as a large bike ride for a good cause is now a full-on event raising money and awareness.
It's called the Ride for Hope, and as CBS 2's Jim Williams explains, this year donations got a real boost to help a west suburban organization.
It was modest start a year ago: Mark Kurland and a friend riding bikes for an important cause, with a dream for something bigger.
"Yeah, last year it was just me and a buddy, Dan Stratton. And this year, I had a vision to turn this into more of a family and a large bike ride. So this is the first Ride for Hope," Kurland said.
Ride for Hope is a 100-mile trek for Naomi's House, a west suburban haven for survivors of sex trafficking. Kurland will have many more have allies pedaling this year.
"It's awesome. I never thought it would get this big, but it's gotten real big," he said.
This year, an anonymous benefactor will match donations up to $100,000; more money and more help for the people Naomi's House serves.
"They give them counseling; give them skills, teach them skills so that they can get jobs; assist in getting them jobs; and then protecting them, obviously, from anyone that might be wanting to cause them harm," Kurland said.
Staffers are at Naomi's House around the clock, every day.
Rebecca Zeller told CBS 2 last year that, without Naomi's House, she would be "probably struggling, if not dead."
"The only thing I knew was prostitution and trafficking," she said.
Zeller said Naomi's House helped her get back on her feet, leave her old life behind, and fight through a drug addiction.
The Ride for Hope on June 4 will be a 100-mile loop, starting and ending in west suburban St. Charles. The hope is to eventually build another Naomi's House in the Fox Valley region.
With every mile Kurland and the other generous supporters pedal, they'll send a message to those seeking a safe place.
"That's the satisfaction. They hear of people that are actually trying to do something for them, instead of against them, and that's the hope that we hope to spread with them," Kurland said.