Women pedal against global warming

NORTH CANAAN — Sometime in June, Virginia "Ginny" Sterpka will roll into her family’s Church Terrace home with her friend Katie Wittman. They will likely be ready to do nothing for awhile, except tell stories of their adventures on the road. The two young women are in the middle of a 2,000-mile bike ride from Denver to North Canaan. The goal is to raise awareness of global warming. They call their effort Pedal for the Plant, after similar programs taking place around the world.

As of last Friday, Sterpka and Wittman had reached Holmes County, Ohio — Amish country.

"Thank goodness for cell phones," said Ginny’s mom, JoEllen Sterpka, who keeps track of them daily through a Web site and cell calls.

She admits she is much more worried about their safety than they are, and that worries her even more. But they have also found a wealth of support and kindness on the road. Something about such a demanding physical effort for a cause brings out the best in people who hear what they are up to.

They have gotten help with flat tires, a ride on an incredibly windy day, campers and yards and beds to sleep in, dinners around family tables and free ice cream and other goodies at convenience stores. They have made a lot of new friends along the way.

At their Web site — geocities/pedal4theplanet — they suggest "You don’t need to ride 2,000 miles" to help. Rather, everyone can find small ways, such as biking or walking instead of driving, carpooling, switching to energy-efficient light bulbs and hanging clothes outside to dry.

The women are also planning their route as they go and welcome suggestions sent to pedal4theplanet@yahoo.com.