Pedal Power: Beijing to Minneapolis by Bike

Fueled by Rice, a group of five self-appointed Johnnie and Bennie ambassadors of goodwill, completed their 13-month, 10,000-mile bicycle tour on Nov. 9 with a ride from Chicago to Minneapolis. Accompanied by 20 alumni and friends, the group pedaled into Minneapolis to enjoy a huge chili feed.

The five bicyclists -- Jim Durfey '04, Peter Ehresmann '04, Nakia Pearson '03,  Andrew Spidahl '03, and Adam Wolf 05' --  left Beijing for Paris in September 2007 in search of adventure and friendship. They found plenty of both. By November 2008, as they rolled into the City of Lights, they had biked and blogged their way across two continents.

They kept their goal simple: to spread the spirit of tolerance and cooperation around the world, one pedal at time. Everywhere, they met people who embraced that simple idea.

Upcoming opportunities to hear their stories include two appearances at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University:

Saturday, Nov. 15, 5-8 p.m.: at the Festival of Cultures in the Haehn Campus Center Field House at the College of Saint Benedict.

Tuesday, Nov. 18, 8:15 p.m.: Public presentation in Alumni Lounge at Saint John's University

For more information, go to  www.fueledbyrice.org