Clear skies and 50 volunteers greeted 125 bikers on Saturday, June 27 as they cycled to raise funds for Lutheran Charities.

Bikers from St. Paul Lutheran Church, Exton in the 2009 Lutheran Charities Bike Ride include, from left:  Louis Anzalone, Richard Hujsak, Don Harting, Steve Ellis, Tilly Hujsak, Deborah Anzalone.

Bikers rode a new road route through Montgomery and Chester Counties or a Fun Ride on the Schuylkill River Trail. The routes were created and mapped by Louis Anzalone, a member of the Bike Committee and St. Paul Lutheran Church in Exton.

The cyclists ranged in age from 8 to 78 year-old Louis Wonderly, a member of St. Michael Lutheran Church in Unionville who rides annually for Lutheran Charities.

St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Audubon hosted registration and lunch. Bikers enjoyed a day of fun and fellowship, with SteepleChase stops at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Chester Springs; Augustus Lutheran Church, Trappe; Advent Lutheran Church, Harleysville; and St. John Lutheran Church, Phoenixville. Volunteers from Lutheran Charities agencies provided food and helped the event run smoothly. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Bikesport, and Bill Bosler Graphic Design co-sponsored the ride.

Friends, families, and congregations pledge their support to bikers, and proceeds benefit eight Lutheran Charities social ministry agencies.