Cycling so that others can have wheels to move

Saturday’s scorching heat wasn’t enough to stop two Corona del Mar residents from reaching the end of a 3,000-mile cross-county campaign aimed at raising money to purchase 15,000 wheelchairs for thousands of disabled people in developing countries.

At Mariners Church in Irvine, shortly after 2:30 p.m., Don Schoendorfer and Mike Bayer, co-founders of Free Wheelchair Mission, completed the cycling movement they spearheaded.

“The whole point of this bike ride across America was to get the word out about our cause,” Schoendorfer said in-between bites of a celebratory hamburger.

The Ride for Mobility, with Reader’s Digest as a media sponsor, had its kick-off on April 20 at the publication’s headquarters in New York, with stops including Chicago, Kansas City and Phoenix.

“It’s been a great 59 days … so many lives will be changed,” Bayer said. “It was totally worth every pedal stroke. I would ride any mile any day … to get someone a wheelchair.”

Schoendorfer and Bayer met with about a dozen bike riders at the El Dorado East Regional Park in Long Beach at 11 a.m. Saturday to complete the last 28 miles of the 3,000-mile cross-country cycling course. The group continued down the lower Santa Ana River Trail and along the Huntington Beach bike trail to Irvine.

Since its launch, the campaign has generated enough money to purchase nearly 10,000 wheelchairs. Schoendorfer and Bayer said they are optimistic their goal of 15,000 can still be reached.

“It’s the tip of the iceberg as far as fundraising,” Bayer said. “We hope to return to the places we’ve visited along the way to raise more funds in the future.”

Free Wheelchair Mission is a nonprofit organization that seeks to assist disabled people in developing countries by providing them with free wheelchairs.

“I think what they are doing for people is fabulous,” said Neva Koon, 73, of Huntington Beach who was at the church. “To see what a wheelchair does for someone who has been bedridden for so many years … it’s amazing. They are helping so many people in need get their mobility and dignity back.”

The exhausted participants were greeted by family, friends and supporters at the finish line to the tune of U2’s “It’s a Beautiful Day” before enjoying a celebratory barbecue.

“It’s nice to be back home. I’ve been wanting to be here for days,” Bayer said. “Seeing the finish line was like seeing a dream realized.”