KANSAS CITY, Mo. (August 9, 2024) – A newly retired Silicon Valley account manager has triumphantly returned home from a 17,000-mile motorcycle ride across North America in support of Children International and the global nonprofit organization’s mission to break the cycle of poverty among children and their families.
Will Pizzolato, 67, departed his Sunnyvale, California, residence on March 29 in a quest to raise funds and awareness for Children International, which he has supported for more than 30 years.
Over the four-month trek that circled the U.S. and ventured into Mexico and Canada, he secured nearly $8,000 in donations for Children International via his fundraising webpage, with all proceeds going to the global charity that serves more than 200,000 children and youth in 10 countries, including the U.S.
Reflecting on his sometimes-arduous journey, Will said the hardest part was battling the unexpected rainy weather, especially in parts of the U.S. Midwest and East Coast, where he needed to change up his original route to avoid rainstorms.
Despite these weather challenges and occasional mishaps such as minor equipment repairs, Will said he came away “truly inspired” by the generosity of people he met along the way.
“The kindness of strangers was overwhelming,” he said. “Whether in Canada, Texas, Michigan or Mexico, people offered help and listened to my story. It was amazing to see such support for Children International wherever I went.”
Now officially retired, Will plans to continue woodworking and would like to volunteer at a local animal shelter. Central to his plans is to continue sponsoring three Latin American youth through Children International.
“I made this long trip and kept it going for these young people and for the six others I’ve sponsored over the last three decades,” Will said. “In approaching retirement, I realized what a great life I’ve had in California. However, there are children and families less fortunate, through no fault of their own, who need our help. Raising funds and awareness for Children International is the best way I could think of to give back and to make a difference, no matter how large or small, in people’s lives.”
Children International, based in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, is a global nonprofit that delivers child and youth development programming to break the cycle of generational poverty. Through a customized approach, Children International serves young people in Colombia, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, India, Guatemala, Mexico, the Philippines, Zambia and the United States for the first two decades of their lives. The organization provides access to health care, education, positive role models, and the life and job skills they need to become gainfully employed. When equipped to improve their own lives, young people also transform their families and communities, and, as a result, multiply good in the world. For more information, visit children.org.
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