The Equal Parenting Bike Trek is now in its fourth year of operation. Conceived in 2005 by Robb MacKenzie, a state corrections officer in the Upper Peninsula, the goal of the event is to bring awareness to the public, the media and our state and national legislators of the need for equal custody legislation and family law reform. DADS and MOMS of Michigan along with hundreds of individuals and other parental and family rights organizations jointly sponsor Equal Parenting Bike Trek to serve as a public demonstration of our collective will to be equal parents to our children after divorce or seperation.
During the initial year of operation, Robb cycled alone from his home in the Upper Peninsula to the State Capitol in Lansing Michigan. Here is Robb's account of the inception of the event:
"In the summer of 2005 I decided to cycle from my home in L'anse in the Upper Peninsula to the Capitol in Lansing after my 11 year old daughter Clair suggested the idea. When I learned about the federal role in fueling the fires of the family law industry, I modified the trip to proceed from Lansing to Washington DC. My inspiration is my daughter and my motivation is to call atttention to the need for two paent involvement in the lives of every child through the enactment of Equal Custody Laws."
During the summer of 2006 Robb cycled from Lansing Michigan to Washingto DC and was greeted by a reception composed from the ranks of ACFC and Media RADAR. Remarkably Robb cycled unaccompanied through the most rigorous portion of the trek - from Pittsburgh onto Washington DC.
For the 2007 bike ride Robb was accompanied by a second cyclist, Robert Pedersen of Battle Creek Michigan. With the addition of a second cyclist, the Equal Parenting Bike Trek expanded and took on a new dimension and enthusiasm for the event grew substantially. During the 2007 bike ride the cyclists joined numerous local groups for meetings, rallies and demonstrations and had a chance to meetup with the bus from the Children's Rights Initiative for Sharing Parents Equally (CRISPE) also bound for Washington DC to attend the DC Rally 2007.
For 2008 the Equal Parenting Bike Trek expanded to a total of four cyclists consisting of veteran cyclist Robb MacKenzie of Convington Michigan; Brian Downs, an attorney and candidate for judicial office from Grand Rapids Michigan; Bill Foster an history teacher from Waterford Michigan; and Bill Koellner a manufacturing worker from Levittown Pennsylvania. The destination this year is again Washinton DC where our cyclists will join thousands of other parents and advocates in attending the DC Festival 2008 adjacent to the US Capitol.
Please make your contribution to history by supporting the efforts of the Equal Parenting Bike Trek and attending the DC Festival in Washington DC on August 15th and 16th, 2008. By working together supporting projects like the Equal Parenting Bike Trek and other like minded advocacy efforts, we will insure that two parent involvement is the starting point for divorcing or separating parents and the birthright of our children.
