At The Catholic Foundation, we are committed to helping donors turn generosity into lasting impact.
The Foundation offers individuals and families a variety of ways to support Catholic parishes, schools, nonprofit ministries, and causes that reflect their faith and values. One of those ministries is Biking for Babies, a young adult missionary apostolate dedicated to renewing the culture of life and supporting pregnancy resource centers across the country.
Biking for Babies brings together young adults who want to live the Gospel of Life in a tangible way. Through prayer, formation, cycling, and fundraising, they support pregnancy centers and maternity homes that accompany women and families during some of their most vulnerable moments.
That support can be life-changing.
A few years ago, Faith-Ann Dalton was facing an unplanned pregnancy. Her fiancé at the time told her she should have an abortion and that they could “try again after they were married.” Hearing those words from someone who was supposed to love and support her was devastating.
Then Faith-Ann encountered the Pregnancy Resource Center of Rolla, and her life began to change.
With the support she found there, Faith-Ann had the courage to choose life for her child. She went on to live in a maternity home for more than two years, complete her college degree, find employment, and begin volunteering at the same pregnancy resource center that had helped her. Today, she works there full-time, accompanying other mothers who are facing similar circumstances.
Her story is a reminder that when women are supported with love, truth, and practical care, lives can be transformed.
This is the kind of work Biking for Babies helps make possible.
The 5th Annual Philly Ride for Life, benefiting the mission of Biking for Babies, will take place on June 27 at St. Philip & James in Exton, Pennsylvania. The ride is open to all ages and abilities.
Experienced cyclists may choose from 17, 33, and 43 mile routes along the backroads of Chester County. Recreational riders and families may participate on the Chester Valley Trail, with 10 and 25 mile options, as well as flexible family-friendly distances.
The day will begin with an optional Mass at 7:15 a.m., followed by a program featuring local pregnancy centers at 8:15 a.m. The ride will begin at 9:00 a.m.
Biking for Babies began in 2009, when two college students from the University of Illinois were inspired by the words of St. John Paul II: “Woe to you if you do not succeed in defending life.” They combined their love of cycling with a desire to promote a culture of life, riding 600 miles around Illinois and raising $14,000 for a pregnancy center and their campus pro-life group.
From that humble beginning, Biking for Babies has grown into a national apostolate. Young adults, ages 18 to 39, participate in a six-month National Ride Formation Program that includes spiritual formation, education on the Gospel of Life, virtue-building friendships, partnerships with pregnancy centers and maternity homes, and a one-week, 600-mile pilgrimage by bike.
Since its founding, more than 300 young adult missionaries have participated in Biking for Babies. Together, they have partnered with more than 200 pregnancy centers across the United States and donated nearly $2.5 million to support their life-saving work.
As Biking for Babies continues to grow, including expanded routes and hubs in the western United States, its purpose remains the same: to renew the culture of life, one pedal stroke, one young adult, one pregnancy center, and one heart at a time.
Through the Biking for Babies Fund of The Catholic Foundation, donors help young adults encounter Jesus Christ, renew the culture of life, partner with pregnancy centers by raising money and awareness for them, and to pray for families facing unplanned pregnancies.
The Catholic Foundation is grateful to support the work of Biking for Babies as they protect life, strengthen families, and form young adults in faith.