June 8: Cyclists Depart on 1,900-Mile Trek to Offer Hope for Thousands

"She's My Sister" Amateur Bike Tour Elevates Awareness of Those Living in the "Rape Capital of the World"

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., June 5, 2012—What motivates eight twenty-somethings to spend six weeks in the hot sun traveling more than 1,900 miles on a bicycle? Love.

On Friday morning, June 8, a group of eight college students and recent grads will set off from Daytona Beach, Fla., and pedal their way north to New York City. Along the way, they will stop at churches in 10 states to raise awareness of and support for the women of the Congo dealing with unimaginable circumstances.

"The Congo has been called the rape capital of the world," said cyclist Gordon Brown. "I committed to spend my summer helping to raise awareness of the terror these women have survived and provide others with a way to help. It is the least I can do."  Brown, who participated in the inaugural She's My Sister bike tour last year, sees the ride as symbolic of the journey that the women of the Congo are on to overcome trauma.

Media Opportunities

• Interview bike riders

• Interview She's My Sister project director John Walter

• Track the progress of the She's My Sister Bike Tour at MySisterTour.org

The centerpiece of the She's My Sister initiative is Scripture-based trauma healing. "Scripture not only offers these Congolese women an encounter with God’s healing power, it is a source of desperately needed hope amid horrific circumstances," said project director John Walter.

About She's My Sister:

Led by American Bible Society, She's My Sister is a collaborative effort of organizations from around the globe dedicated to providing Scripture-based trauma healing programs and practical aid to the women of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the surrounding region. It equips local churches to care for spiritual and emotional wounds caused by decades of brutal conflict, overcoming barriers of pain that separate people from God and one another, and restoring hope for the future.

About American Bible Society:
Headquartered in Manhattan, the 196-year-old American Bible Society exists to make the Bible available to every person in a language and format each can understand and afford, so all people may experience its life-changing message. One of the nation’s oldest nonprofit organizations, today’s American Bible Society provides interactive, high- and low-tech resources enabling first-time readers and seasoned theologians alike to engage with the best-selling book of all time.

-30-