Jackson resident one of 20 to cycle on cross-country tour

In less than three months, 20 cyclists will leave San Diego on an eight-week trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C. Chase Livingston of Jackson is one of the riders.

The group will spend about eight hours a day on the road as part of the Ride: Well Southern Tour, a fundraiser for an organization founded by Christian rock band Jars of Clay called Blood: Water Mission.

Its goal is to help underdeveloped communities in Africa build clean wells, latrines and health clinics. Livingston, 28, said this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bicycle across America, covering about 3,100 miles.

The tour is scheduled for June 2 to July 26.

Participants stop in communities and churches along the way to talk about the water and blood crises in Africa and to ask for support, according to the tour's Web site.

A support vehicle carries gear and promotional materials, the Web site says.

Every night the group will either stay in a hotel or with a host church, Livingston said. The cyclists will cover about 75 to 100 miles a day.

In the past two years the Ride: Well Tour has raised about $300,000 to provide clean water, clinics and educational opportunities, according to the Web site.

The route takes cyclists through four mountain ranges, four time zones and nine states across the southern United States, the site says.

Livingston heard about the ride from Christian bloggers and writers such as Donald Miller. He thinks it's a good cause.

"Last year my wife and I moved to Jackson to care for my mother-in-law," he said. "I've not been able to find work, and I've felt bad about that. I saw an opportunity to help with a great need. Why waste my time feeling sorry for myself when I could do this?"

He applied in November and soon did a phone interview with event organizer Venture Expeditions. A week later, he found out he was chosen to go.

Since then, he's been training by riding 25 miles a day, either on a stationary bike or on the road.

"I'm comfortable on the road," he said. "I like main roads and wide open spaces, nothing too curvy. I'll be cycling with others, so I'll be safe. I'm ready."

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