Eight teenagers along with staff and volunteers from the Paul Anderson Youth Home will participate in a 600-mile bike ride Aug. 1-7 through Southeast Georgia and Florida.
PAYH hopes to make parents more aware of the struggles youth face every day through a campaign called familySTRONG, a parenting movement that challenges parents to “make parent a verb.” In addition to bringing awareness of the dangerous trends facing today’s youth, the group is riding with a goal of raising $100,000 to support the ongoing rehabilitative work at PAYH.  
The ride will start Aug. 1 in Lakeland, Fla., and end Aug. 7 in Vidalia.
Since 1961, PAYH has provided an alternative to incarceration and a home to more than 1,200 young men while also helping their families. Ninety percent of PAYH graduates never seeing the inside of a jail cell again.
Locals can meet the bikers by going to www.payhbikeride.com, or by attending one of the tour stops along the route. To sponsor a rider on the challenge, go online. While online, visitors may also register for a chance to win a Motobecane road bike. Entries will be received until Aug. 15.   
Blogs, video and audio coverage can be found at www.payhbikeride.com. For more information, on the Paul Anderson Youth Home or familyStrong resources, please visit www.payh.org.