Pre-Trip in Mobile

Mike was having an adventure on his trip before he even got on his bike. On Sunday May 10, Mike rode down to Mobile with a high school buddy, Jeffrey Jones (pictured above), who had arranged a couple of places for Mike to speak about his trip and fund-raising goals. Mike spoke to members of the University Church of Christ in Mobile, and on Monday morning he visited two classes of eighth-graders at Mobile County Training School.



The history of Mobile County Training School began as far back as 1880. It was the oldest county training school in Alabama. For many years it was a high school composed of grades 7-12. A 1970-71 school term reorganization transformed the school from a high school to a middle school. The kids were impressed with Mike's bike and wanted to know all about where he would eat, sleep and fix his bike on the trip.



Mike rose at 6 a.m. on Monday, May 11, to have breakfast with a few friends (Waffles!) and then headed to downtown Mobile, to the waterfront, to begin his 2,028-mile journey at the site of Mobile's former slave market, where slaves were brought into the U.S. until August 1959.

If you would like to make a donation to Mike's Underground Railroad Bike Tour Diversity Scholarship Fund at Lipscomb University click here.