As they struggled to pedal up horrendous hills along their 1,700-mile route, Cameron Ciambotti said a fellow cyclist recommended remembering why they are making the trek: ending sex trafficking.
Pedal the Pacific’s 12 team members, who have spent several weeks shining the spotlight on human trafficking and raising funds to help victims and survivors, arrived in Lompoc on Wednesday afternoon.
“One time Kasturi (Bandyopadhyay) was like, ‘Just remember the why,’” said Ciambotti, of Charlottesville, Virginia. “ Anytime it gets hard, we need to remember who we’re doing this for, and I think that’s helped me grow a lot.
“I think it’s cool to be able to be thrown into the thick of it with a bunch of people you just met, and every time it gets hard you just remind yourself why you’re doing it and that’s just so much bigger than any little thing that goes wrong every day.”
Anna Rhodes of Fayetteville, Arkansas, said she was drawn to the ride after working with people with disabilities and learning how many of them and others become vulnerable to domestic sex traffickers.
“It just made me really passionate about the issue,” she said, adding that the ride gives her a chance to learn more about human trafficking. “The most affected populations are people of color, foster youth, members of the LGBQT-plus community and indigenous communities.”
The ride, covering about 50 miles per day, began June 11 in Seattle and will wind up July 31 in San Diego.
Ciambotti said she joined the ride to combine two things she loved and has a connection to — cycling and advocacy.
“It’s just a really unique way of protesting a system that is so set in place that oppresses so many different types of people,” she said.
Pedal the Pacific is an Austin, Texas-based nonprofit organization that operates under the theme “Cycling for a world where people are not for sale.” Founded in 2017 by three friends from Texas, this is the fourth run down the coast, after having skipped last year because of the coronavirus. Participants now come from multiple states.
So far, the 2021 team has raised more than $122,000. Click here to make an online donation.
On Wednesday, a team of 10 riders, plus the pair taking their turn traveling in the support van, rolled into Lompoc for some rest, but received more — including a group cheering their arrival.
Upon learning that the riders would spend the night in Lompoc, North County Rape Crisis & Child Protection Center executive director Ann McCarty quickly mustered forces.
Members of the Lompoc-Vandenberg Branch of the American Association of University Women provided a potluck dinner, making sure to accommodate various diets. Trinity Church of the Nazarene agreed to offer up showers and a place to sleep.
“We are so happy to welcome you to Lompoc,” McCarty told the riders.
Teresa Loya, the sexual assault response coordinator at Vandenberg Space Force Base, surprised the riders with a special coin — with the words “Believe Survivors” — on behalf of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office.
“Ladies, I think that the work that you’re doing is something that not only is something difficult, but you truly are making a difference in the world,” said Loya, a veteran. “In the military we like to recognize a really good effort. I wanted to coin you guys.”
“This is amazing,” one rider said.
“This is so cool,” another added.
The stopover also helped highlight that human trafficking exists in Santa Barbara County and drive home McCarty’s message that everyone plays a role in combatting human trafficking.
“Anything we can do as a society to draw attention and to better address this problem is important,” Lompoc police Capt. Kevin Martin said. “For you taking the time to educate and draw attention to this is invaluable.”
It’s not the only time that Pedal the Pacific riders have stopped in Lompoc, but it marked the first time they had a welcoming party.
Bob Grant, manager of Bicycles Unlimited, tuned up the team’s bikes overnight, and the riders will leave Lompoc on Thursday, traveling to Santa Barbara, where they will stay with host families through Saturday.
On Friday morning, they will meet at the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office for a roundtable discussion led by Megan Rheinschild, director of the DA’s Victim-Witness Assistance Program, and other members of the county Human Trafficking Task Force.
Friday evening, the Junior League of Santa Barbara is hosting a dinner to share experiences with the league’s human trafficking outreach and programs.
In addition, El Capitán Canyon is hosting the team for lunch Thursday, the Santa Barbara Club is providing breakfast Friday and the SBYC Women of the Santa Barbara Yacht Club are hosting a luncheon and presentation Friday.
On Saturday, the outreach committee at All Saints By-the-Sea Episcopal Church will send them off with breakfast and a blessing by the Rev. Vicki Mouradian, associate rector.
While the cyclists are in Santa Barbara, the Montecito Inn will be storing their bikes for them.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.