Mike Roskam struck by vehicle during 2,400 mile fundraiser ride
VANCOUVER — Sunday morning, Sept. 22, Mike Roskam and his brother Mark were cycling through Oklahoma as part of their 2,400-mile bike ride to raise money for Open House Ministries.
A driver did not see them approaching around a turn and accidentally struck Mike on his bike. He suffered face lacerations, road rash and a concussion, and was taken to a nearby hospital.
Mark, who was riding next to his brother at the time of the incident was unharmed, and Mike was released from the hospital later on Sunday. The brothers, along with their wives, are resting and will make decisions about the ride in the next several days.
The Route 66: Breaking the Cycle of Homelessness fundraiser is on hold until further notice, according to Open House.
The fundraiser is an effort by Mark, who is the chaplain at Open House, and Mike, his brother, to raise $66,000 for the shelter and the ministry. The brothers also both volunteer at Wheel Deals; Open House’s bike shop that provides jobs to residents and raises money for the organization.
Yesterday on Facebook, Open House posted this statement:
“We’re thanking God for being with the cycling Roskams as they pedal Route 66 raising funds and awareness for the homeless. And we’re praying for an extra dose of strength and guidance right now … Please respect the Route 66 team’s privacy and time. We will post updates when appropriate. Thank you for your concern and patience. Pray with us for now. We love these men way more than what they’re doing for us on this 2,448-mile ride. Pray for Mike’s injuries and for wisdom and peace for everyone involved. Prayers for the driver of the vehicle involved are also greatly appreciated. Accidents happen, and we can only imagine how upsetting and scary this is for the driver. We appreciate all our supporters out there. Please feel free to direct any questions to our communications manager, Dina Hovde. She can be reached at dina.hovde@sheltered.org.”
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Biking Brothers: Helping the homeless through cross-country fundraiser
