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| At the starting line on the morning of April 26. Photo by and property of the author |
Last Sunday, April 26, we had the seventh edition of the Ride for Hope that was the shortest in terms of distance. It turned out to be the most meaningful of them all.
Following the last fundraising ride for Bahay Aruga, the Team decided to help the halfway home with its planned blood drive set for April 29. C-j and I decided on an April 26 date to invite bikers to visit Bahay Aruga and challenge them to be part of the blood-letting activity.
With this understanding, we proceeded to promote our planned Ride on social media. The response blew us away, as interest in the Ride drove up the numbers for our Facebook page to record levels. I was particularly excited and a bit apprehensive at the same time, as I had no idea how to marshal a large group should one ever materialize.
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| Ride for Hope 7 route, from Bisikleta Republika in Sucat to Bahay Aruga in Manila. It is the shortest Ride by far, stretching a little over 22 kilometers. Courtesy of ridewithgps.com |
On the morning of the Ride, however, excitement turned to utter disappointment as the riders we had invited to join failed to materialize. A quick check of Facebook revealed that we had scheduled our Ride on Earth Day Weekend, with the hugely popular Tour of the Fireflies drawing away most of our target crowd.
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| A largely empty Chino Roces Avenue. Photo by and property of the author |
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With a heavy heart, I managed to push away from the starting line at Bisikleta Republika at exactly 5:45 Sunday morning. With Switchfoot's "Love Alone is Worth the Fight" beating in my ear, I made good progress and found myself in the City of Makati within an hour. Traffic was non-existent, which somehow eased my trip and lifted my spirits. |
| Earth Day Run along Gil Puyat (Buendia) Avenue. Photo by and property of the author |
Turning into Buendia, I came upon the annual Earth Day Run and enjoyed the empty roads. I could not help but feel a bit sad, though, as it reminded me how our cause had gotten lost in the hoopla of Earth Day. Nevertheless, I pushed on towards the rendezvous point at the Rajah Sulayman Park in Manila and waited for my companions to arrive.
It was around 8:00am when the rest of the Riders arrived. Two of the group were newbies to road riding: Charlou, a student I was mentoring at our church, and Vents, who was C-j's younger brother. Rounding up the group was their elder brother Jason, an accomplished distance rider in his own right, with trips to Baguio, Cavite, Rizal, and the Ilocos under his belt. Aside from C-j and I, though, all were newcomers to the cause of advocacy riding.
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| The Ride for Hope 7 team at Rajah Sulayman Park. From right: C-j, Jason, Vents, Charlou, and the author. Photo by and property of the author |
After a short rest (Vents was adjusting quite badly to his first ride, with aching legs and joints at this point), the five of us pushed on for the short hop towards Bahay Aruga. We stopped awhile to purchase some treats (specifically, Mogu Mogu drinks) for the kids. Once we had everything ready, we strolled towards Bahay Aruga and our hearts dropped at the sight that welcomed us.
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| A "guard of honor"--kids of Bahay Aruga with their parents--welcomes our Team. Photo by and property of the author |
A small crowd of kids and their parents were standing in front of the home, soaking in the sun. When they saw us coming, they met us with warm smiles and cheers, waving colorful hand-cut pennants they had made themselves. All of us in the Team looked around and at each other, unable to comprehend what was happening. It was only when Ma'am Mayette Bonilla of Bahay Aruga came out of the door and met us when it made sense to us that the guard of honor was for us.
C-j's brother Jason's heart melted at the sight, and he went off with C-j to the nearby 7-11 to get more treats for the kids. Meanwhile, a fellow donor from a group of toy collectors came and brought a ton of toys and food supplies. Charlou, Vents, and Jason helped with the offloading while C-j and I turned over our humble treats, consisting of Mogu Mogu drinks and donuts.
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| C-j supervises the turnover of our humble treats. Photo by and property of the author |
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| With the kids of Bahay Aruga. Say "Mogu Mogu!" Photo by and property of the author |
After meeting the kids and having a short talk with ma'am Mayette, our Team took its leave. Some of the kids sent us off with waves and smiling faces. As soon as we rounded the corner and entered the shelter of Gonzales street, the tears came out of my eyes. It was some time before I had the strength to rejoin the others.
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Indeed, 22 kilometers is a short trip by Ride for Hope standards, but for some of the kids at Bahay Aruga, life can be like that--a short hop. However, like this trip, it's about finding meaning that makes the journey quite fulfilling.We Riders can go and pedal around the world for all its worth, but this seventh edition will always be special. For the first time, we were the ones on the receiving end of our advocacy efforts, as the kindness and sincerity of children fighting a glorious battle against cancer showed us what it meant to live with hope and dignity. It was a Ride that touched our hearts.
Bahay Aruga will be conducting its blood-letting drive in coordination with the PGH Blood Bank on April 29 starting 8:00am. You can visit them at 1131 San Marcelino Street, Ermita, Manila (between Emilio Aguinaldo College Buildings 7 & 8). Look for Ms. Mayette Bonilla.
UPDATE: The first Bahay Aruga blood drive held last April 29 at the Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) Building 6 enjoyed a successful turnout, hitting the required minimum quota at 11:30am . Our deepest thanks goes to the donors, the PGH Blood Bank staff, EAC College of Nursing, Joy Christian Fellowship, and to everyone who became part of this event.
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| This Ride, we won't forget. Photo by and property of the author |
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