Helping children is more important to Lewis Smith than the callouses, sore muscles, wind, hills and crazy drivers he will encounter this summer as he rides a bicycle 400 miles across 19 western counties to raise money for Baptist Children's Homes of North Carolina.

Smith, for 28 years a pastor in North and South Carolina has been on the development staff for BCH since 2004 and is securing sponsors for his ride in hopes of raising $50,000.

This is an especially bold move for Smith because he is not a cyclist. At least, he wasn't, until he started training his sit bones and quads for this ride.

He is not riding straight through, but will ride and speak at churches, Vacation Bible Schools and special gatherings to tell people about the ministry North Carolina Baptists offer to children and their families. He will take a week off between segments of the ride to continue his development work, then mount the saddle again for the next leg. His wife, Sherry, will drive a support vehicle.

Lewis is looking for donors who will sponsor all six legs of the ride for $1,200 and for stage sponsors who will chip in $200. All "mile for a child" sponsor Ride the West adventure to benefit BCH, you can call him at (828) 421-9300.

Already from his training Smith has lost nine of the 15 pounds he gained from the travel, meet and eat circuit that plagues development officers and many denominational workers who attend so many meetings planned around meals.

Ride the Westwill culminate Sept. 4 when a newly trimmed and powerful Smith will push up the steep hill toward Broyhill Home in Clyde and present BCH President Michael C. Blackwell with a check for at least $50,000 at the annual Western Area Conference.

I'm going to join Smith on some leg of his journey and will tell you more about it then, but I'm still studying the map for the section that includes the most downhill.