St. Judes Knights of Columbus at 801 N. Bridge St., Dewitt, MI 48820 US - Orphanage Bike Ride

Sir John Shinsky and volunteers

There are thousands of children around the world whose living conditions and daily lives are deplorable. One of those situations is in Matamoros Mexico where many children roam the streets soliciting donations, living in the dump trying to get food and various goods to sell or use, lacking education, and having no opportunity to escape the poverty and abuse that has become a routine part of their lives. We have been blessed with the opportunity to change these conditions for children, by building a safe and supportive orphanage that will begin to reverse this tragic situation that no child should experience.
The City of Children Orphanage is a 12 building 33,000 square foot facility designed to serve 120 abandoned and abused children in Matamoros Mexico. At present, there are 6 buildings completed with the intent of opening their doors in May 2009, and then building the additional 6 buildings from that point on. John Shinsky, a former orphan, Academic All-American College Football player and recent cancer survivor along with his wife Cindy are the founders of the orphanage. John, Joe DeLamielleure, an NFL Football Hall of Fame member who played for the Buffalo Bills and the Cleveland Browns, and Eljay Bowron, Former Director of the Secret Service for the United States are riding their bikes 2000 miles from the football stadium at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, to Matamoros, Mexico, as a fundraiser for this project.
John Shinsky, Joe DeLamielleure and Eljay Bowron are committed to generating the necessary resources to support the orphanage. Six buildings have been constructed thus far at a cost of $30 per square foot, and 100% of all the donations that have been given to the project go directly to supporting this facility named, “The City of Children of Matamoros Mexico.”
John, Joe and Eljay hope that the financial resources generated from this bike ride through per mile donations, Ambassador Club memberships, short and long term donations, will give them what we need to open up a new world of opportunity for abandoned and abused children. Please visit our website at www.orphanagefundraiser.com to see more details regarding the bike ride.
The 2000 mile bike ride from Michigan State Stadium in East Lansing Michigan to the “The City of Children Orphanage” in Matamoros Mexico is another demonstration of the passion and commitment so many people have for building and supporting the orphanage. Many abandoned, abused, and neglected children are going to be blessed with safe and supportive living conditions along with the educational, vocational, and spiritual opportunities that so many of us have been blessed to have.

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