Students support Habitat

"Well done good and faithful servants. You will make a difference in someone's life," said the Rev. Mike Roth, vice president of Greene County Habitat for Humanity, as he received a check from Linton-Stockton students in the amount of $20,242.12 to be applied toward the next HFH house to be built in Linton.

The L-S elementary gymnasium was filled with students and more than 60 cyclists riding for Habitat for Humanity as the four top solicitors -- Emma Brewer (grade 4), Damion Russell (grade 5), Joey Hineman (kindergarten), and Hannah Watson (Grade 1), presented the check.

Elementary students have been busy for several weeks collecting the donation to be presented during the cyclists stop-over in Linton as they rode their annual tour from Evansville to Indianapolis. The classes raised money from individuals and businesses several ways including bake sales and a pledge to work 100 math problems for a donation.

Doug Taylor, executive director of Habitat for Humanity in Lafayette, is leading the southern ride that began in Evansville. He said that Habitat of Indiana is made up of 72 affiliates that organized the tour.

"Five years ago, Habitat wanted to create an event for awareness to Habitat and organized the first ride," explained Taylor. "The tour consists of three routes, one that begins in Bluffton, one in South Bend and one in Evansville. The three groups will meet in Indianapolis to celebrate Habitat week in Indiana."

Of the 55 cyclists who rode into Linton on Wednesday evening to spend the night at Saron Church, most of them were college students and a majority of them were from Purdue University.

Taylor said that on Sunday, the first day of the run, there were winds up to 50 mph, which made it extremely dangerous for the riders. Many of them rode in cars during that stretch of the trip.

Five Linton cyclists -- Mike and Becky Chapman, Brad and Brooke Feaster and Mike Roth -- joined the group Thursday morning for the trip to Terre Haute.

The second HFH house in Jasonville will be dedicated in June, and then plans will begin for another Habitat house in Linton.

As of date, 2,100 HFH homes have been built in Indiana.