The Fifth Annual Lake Wobegon Regional Trail Ride benefiting Catholic Charities’ St. Cloud Children’s Home and other participating faith communities will take place this year on the September 11 anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, according to the St. Cloud Times.
Chuck Rieland, the charity ride’s founder and director, was deeply affected by the tragedy in 2001. His employer, Morgan Stanley, had offices that occupied more than 50 floors of the World Trade Center. All 50 came crashing to the ground nine years ago when al-Qaida flew two airliners into the buildings, killing more than 3,000 people and injuring countless others. Rieland was inspired by the events to make a difference in his community and prevent the tragedy of the attacks from reaching other homes and families.
“After 9/11, I was getting letters from the children’s homes," Rieland told the paper. "They talked about the cutbacks they had to make because the corporate sponsors felt they had to take care of their own people first, and so it was very sad for me."
Rieland, a native of New Munich, Minnesota, approached the St. Cloud Children’s Home and Catholic Charities five years ago about creating a bike ride along the Lake Wobegon Region Trail where he had grown up.
"They were all for the idea," he recalls.
The first ride, in 2006, raised more than $55,000 for the organizations. Subsequent rides raised $61,000 in 2007, $67,000 in 2008 and $68,000 in 2009 for a total of almost $251,000 in the history of the event. Last year, about 215 riders participated in the fundraiser, Rieland told the paper.
The St. Cloud Children’s Home was founded by Benedictine nuns in 1875 as an orphanage. Today, it remains true to the nuns’ vision as a place where youth from all parts of Minnesota, ages 8-18, can come for support and help in dealing with hardships including abuse, neglect and drug addiction.