After more than 1,000 miles and 12 days on the road, the mission of First United Methodist Church pastor Dennis Whitmore ended Saturday morning at the steps of Laurel City Hall.
Whitmore, whose church and hometown of Laurel, Md., adopted Laurel, Mississippi, shortly after Hurricane Katrina devastated all of Jones County Aug. 29, 2005, said although a part of him is glad to finally reach the end of his journey, a part of him wanted to continue.
“This trip has been such a blessing I sort of hate to see it end,” said a sweat-soaked Whitmore. “God has blessed me with the ability and desire to do this, and the people along the way have been just wonderful.”
“The relationship we’ve had with the mayor and the people of Laurel, Md., has been tremendous and has meant a great deal to us,” added Mayor Melvin Mack. “I’ve been very impressed with the commitment to our people by Laurel, Md., Mayor Craig Moe, the city council, the citizens and of course of pastor Whitmore. This has been something I won’t forget.”
Whitmore took on the challenge of the bicycle trip to raise money for senior citizens in Laurel whose roofs have yet to be repaired from Katrina. He said a meeting with West Laurel First United Methodist Church pastor Roy Pearson gave him the idea and inspiration for such a trip.
“The length of the trip intrigued me and the cause fueled my desire to continue on,” said Whitmore. “So I called this ‘Riding for Roofs’ to help out here.”
Whitmore said all along the trip people were generous. He said the trip raised more than $400 with thousands of dollars being pledged along the way.
During the trip, Whitmore and his support crew were able to stay in housing set up by churches along the way. On most any morning, the team would set out just before dawn to beat the heat as much as possible. For the final leg from Meridian, Whitmore started at 5 a.m.
As a child, Whitmore had serious problems with his knees. Doctors told the now 46-year-old minister he’d never ride a bike, be able to participate in sporting events and probably wouldn’t be able to walk later on in life without some sort of aid. But a church service Whitmore attended as a boy changed all that.
“People laid their hands on me and prayed,” said Whitmore. “They healed my legs through the grace and mercy of God. Riding for causes such as multiple sclerosis is my way of giving back.”
“Everybody wants to do something that is bigger than themselves,” continued Whitmore. “I’m thankful to the many people who supported me on this, but most of all, thankful we live in a country where people who don’t even know each others names can love each other.”
To date, Whitmore said he’s ridden more than 20,000 miles for charities and to help others.
Whitmore will attend service today at West Laurel First United Methodist Church on North 14th Avenue and then Monday begin the return trip to Laurel, Md. — by car.
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