Megan Bentzin

The American Challenge group was pictured in the the Holmes County Herald newspaper, Lexington, Mississippi, on July 10th.

Bicyclists are pedaling from Georgia to California

A group of 13 bicyclists came through  Holmes  County  on Wednesday, July 2 on their way from Savannah, GA to Santa Monica, CA. In the group were 11 teenagers, ages 15-16, and two chaperones. The group was part of the American Challenge operated by a company called Overland. The students were from Maine, New York, Illinois, Alabama, Minnesota, Connecticut, and Washington, D.C.

The teens left Savannah on June 21 and expect to arrive in California on August 1. They will fly home from California.

The group said they stay in local churches, community centers, and state parks along the way. They have no escorts nor receive any special prearranged help along the way.

The riders left Lexington on their way to Belzoni where they were expecting to have fried catfish for lunch. Most of the group said they had never tasted catfish before.

http://teenupawards.blogspot.com/2008/06/austin-teen-is-spokesgirl-for-abused.html

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Austin Teen is SpokesGirl for Abused Children

Megan Bentzin is devoted to children.

The Austin, Tex., teenager is a regular fixture at the Helping Hand Home, a facility for abused and neglected children. She reads to the children there, she participates in fundraisers, and she helps out any way she can.

Now Bentzin is pedaling across the United States to benefit Helping Hand Home as well. She is taking part in a program called The American Challenge, in which fifteen high school students are biking coast-to-coast. Bentzin is using her trip as a way to raise funds for Helping Hand Home.

The 3,000-mile trip began in Savannah, Ga., where Bentzin and the others dipped their bike wheels in the waters of the Atlantic. It will end six weeks later when they plunge screaming into the Pacific near Santa Monica, Calif. There is no support vehicle; everyone carries all their gear. And they have to work together through illness, injuries, equipment problems, and other challenges.

For her dedication and determination—and for turning an exciting adventure into a fundraising opportunity for a cause she believes in—Bentzin is the winner of this week’s TeenUp Award…

Click here to read Pam LeBlanc’s statesman.com blog from 6/20/08, the day before Megan’s ride began.

Julie Moody’s story on KUT radio 90.5 FM aired on Wednesday June 18.

Click here to access the story on the KUT website.

Click here to download an audio MP3 of the story.

KXAN 36 interview with Megan Thursday June 12!!!!

Click to view the video of the KXAN story.

Click here to read the KXAN story online.