A SusanvilleStuff Photofeature
Photos by Wade Workman and Jim Chapman
After being detoured by the Bald and Day fires near Burney last week a group of cyclists raising funds for Habitat for Humanity stopped in town for a barbecue at Hobo Camp provided by the Rotary Club of Susanville. The cycle team started their 4,500 mile journey in Charleston, South Carolina tracing a path across the country and ending up in Susanville only because the threat of evacuations in Burney.
“I received an email from a member of the Rotary Club of Burney on Saturday, August 9th to see if the Rotary Club of Susanville could help them out,” explained Rotarian Jim Chapman. “The Burney Rotarians were scheduled to provide dinner to this group of cyclists who were due to arrive on Sunday night with three fires surrounding Burney and Hat Creek, the roads were closed and they were talking about evacuating Burney.
The original itinerary took the cyclists through Lassen Park to Mineral where they would turn west and drop down into the valley. To avoid the fires the cycle team was instead routed to Adin and then down Highway 139 to Susanville.
With very little notice plans were made to accommodate the bike riders. Stan Bales made arrangements for the group to stay at Hobo Camp and the Susanville Rotary Club worked quickly to prepare and serve BBQ hamburgers and hot dogs, corn, beans, chips, fruit and even a birthday cake.
“Turned out one of the 32 riders, Noah, was celebrating his 25th birthday,” said Chapman, “so we all helped him celebrate.”
More than a dozen Rotarians and their families showed up to help cook and serve the dinner; Wade Workman; Jim Chapman; Richard, Holly and Nathan Egan; Sheriff Dean Growdon; Police Chief Tom Downing; Todd, Joyce and Melissa Eid; Michelle Hunter and her son Jack.
Chapman said that the Methodist Church stepped in and offered to let the group stay overnight in their basement.
The Habitat for Humanity is an international, non-governmental and non-profit organization, founded in 1976 and devoted to building “simple, decent and affordable” housing around the world.
“Each rider had to raise $4,500 for the trip,” explained Chapman. “This group raised $170,000 and was one of eight teams dispatched around the country to raise awareness of affordable housing and working with Habitat for Humanity.”
Chapman called the riders, most of whom are attending college and are between 19 and 30 years old, “highly motivated and top-caliber young people that were a pleasure to get to know and welcome to Susanville.”
