GC grad is halfway on a cross-country bike trip for charity

GREENFIELD – A Greenfield-Central graduate travels the United States by bicycle to raise funds for public education.

Chris Willis, 50, who now lives in Perrysburg, Ohio, recently stopped by town for a funeral but soon resumed his mission across the country for charity.

He is halfway through his cycling trip from Washington to Maine, with the goal of raising $ 51,000. He plans to donate $ 1,000 to 51 different school districts he visits along the way.

Willis departed from Anacortes, Wash., On June 7, and hopes to complete the trip on August 2, when he arrives in Bar Harbor, Maine.

The avid cyclist named his Pedal for Public Schools fundraiser, raising money to say thank you for everything public schools do.

“I raise money through donations of all sizes from people who want to say thank you to public schools around the world,” said Willis, who comes from a long line of public educators.

“As a family, we have over 250 years of experience in public schools. I have spent my entire academic and professional life in public schools, ”he said last week, during his brief stop in town.

Her mother, Jean Willis, and sister, Deby Low, both live in Greenfield.

Low said it was no surprise that his little brother had embarked on an ambitious cross-country adventure.

“I think it’s something he always wanted to do, and he figured he better do it ASAP,” said Low, who is chairman of the board of directors of Greenfield Parks. “Chris likes to set goals and pursue them, and he obviously set that goal and he’s doing it,” she said.

Low said it was a great opportunity for his brother to share the adventure with his youngest son, George, who leads the trip with his father, traveling past to set up camp each night.

“This 19-year-old chose to spend his summer vacation doing this with his dad, and I think that’s awesome,” she said.

Although the trip was mentally and physically exhausting, Willis said the adventures he and his son had along the way were well worth it.

The best moment so far was the night they camped in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, where two bison roamed their campsite. Willis also loved his ride on the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park.

Seeing the country by bike has been a very enriching experience for the Hoosier native.

“I really enjoyed seeing how the landscape changes as we cross the country,” he said.

“It has also been very rewarding to meet people along the way – other cyclists making the trip, or people in the restaurants where I have lunch, or people in the campgrounds every night.”

Willis started cycling as a teenager and rode throughout college, but quit for about 20 years while building a family and his career.

He returned to the sport about five years ago, with a goal of cross-country travel.

Willis averages 80 to 90 miles per day on the trip, or five to eight hours per day. The total trip will cover around 3,500 miles in total, a big jump from the 2,000 miles he typically covers each year.

Ultimately, the money raised for public schools will be worth it, said Willis, who attended Greenfield-Central schools. He graduated in 1989.

He went on to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Ball State University and a doctorate from Indiana University.

He worked as a teacher and principal in Indiana public schools for several years before becoming a professor at Mississippi State University.

Willis now works at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio, where he is an associate professor in the School of Educational Foundations, Leadership, and Policy.