Ride4US: Raising Money for Ultrasounds Is Not Your Typical Walk in the Park.

TACOMA, WASH."Bloom where you're planted" is sage advice, especially when you are pro-life in hostile territory. Western Washington is one of those parts of the country that is hostile to pro-lifers.

EMILY's List, the political action committee that raises money for 100% pro-abortion Democratic women, boasts of their success in Washington. It is the only state with both senators and a governor that are all 100% pro-abortion Democratic women. In 2000, voters soundly defeated an initiative to ban partial-birth abortions. And a state that once was seen as a presidential battleground has become increasingly blue.

Yet pro-lifers are resolutly and actively trying to educate their communities on the tragedy of abortion and its life-giving alternatives. There are committed local chapters throughout the state and vigorous Students for Life groups on many of the state's university campuses. And in the last two years, a new local charity has bloomed in a big way in the Puget Sound area.

According to www.Ride4US.org, "Ride4US is a charity doing what we can do for mothers and babies through the power of ultrasound. Ride4US raises money to purchase ultrasound machines for clinics offering entirely free services to pregnant women, bringing the joy of motherhood into focus within a loving network of support."

Ride4US tapped into local enthusiasm for the outdoors by organizing a fundraising bike ride to purchase the ultrasound equipment. Whereas many such events lose money in their first year, the June 2005 ride saw the donation of one ultrasound machine and a $3,000 cash donation to a crisis pregnancy center (CPC) in Pierce County.

Nine months prior to that, Ride4US's president and founder, Diego Wendt, conceived of the idea when he and his wife realized that putting their money where their mouth was didn't amount to enough money for an ultrasound machine, equipment available at only 5% of the nation's CPCs. Wendt combined his love for cycling with his desire to make ultrasounds available to women considering abortion to create Ride4US, and then recruited key volunteers, including a graphic designer, a web site developer, and a board of directors. Additionally, he incorporated Ride4US as a 501(c)(3) non-profit so that contributions are tax-deductible and began lining up key sponsors to support and promote the event.

Earning $3,000 for the first event was a little short of Wendt's expectations and vision for the growth of Ride4US. For instance, there were just over 100 participants, and the goal was 300. The addition of running, walking, and family fun events, as well as pushing the date into September, enabled Ride4US to triple its participation level to over 300 people this year.