Submitted photo Dan Herbeck poses for a photo with his bike. Herbeck is biking from Minnesota to Guatemala, raising awareness of the economic disparities in Guatemala.

MINNESOTA — In 1972, Fr. Greg Schaffer walked from Minnesota to Guatemala to raise money for programs to increase access to education, housing and healthcare for the San Lucas Mission in Guatemala.

Now, 50 years later Dan Herbeck, on bicycle, will retrace the route taken by Fr. Schaffer to once again raise awareness of the economic disparities in Guatemala.

Herbeck is a New Ulm native and said his earliest memories of giving were the pennies, nickels and dimes collected for the San Lucas Mission. These collections were taken every year from 1st Grade through high school. Fr. Schaffer was a shining example to Herbeck of what it meant to serve the poor.

Schaffer was a New Ulm priest reassigned to serve a parish in San Lucas Tolimán, Guatemala. He had a memorable impact on the people of both Minnesota and Guatemala.

“Fr. Greg was an inspiring leader, passionate about his work and the people of Guatemala. He invited us to learn more about systemic poverty, and he presented the opportunity to support solutions,” Herbeck said in a press release.

Schaffer passed away in 2012, and today, the Mission’s work is run by Guatemalans and funded by Friends of San Lucas.

Herbeck posted on the Friends of San Lucas webpage why he chose to retrace Fr. Schaffer’s route on a bicycle. Herbeck praised Schafer’s devotion to the Guatemalan people, saying:

“Not only did [Schaffer] literally step up to walk 3,087 miles from St. Paul to San Lucas to raise awareness of those in great need, but he devoted 50 years of his life to the people of San Lucas. His is a story of love, sacrifice, tragedy, and triumph that crossed the boundaries of faith, nationality, gender, environment and economics. The more I learned about the work of Fr. Greg, the more I wanted to help.”

Herbeck will be starting his ride Thursday, Sept. 8, from the steps of the Minnesota State Capitol, tracing Fr. Schaffer’s route. He is expected to arrive in New Ulm on Sept. 9 and will remain in the city through Sunday, Sept. 11.

The plan is to reach McAllen, Texas, by mid-October. Herbeck said there are 13 stops planned along the way for various fundraising events.

Herbeck said when news of his ride spread, people from all over the country offered to assist. He even received tips on how to fix his bicycle while on the road.

Herbeck said how he bikes each day will vary on his schedule. He estimates that 100 miles a day will be the top end. Some days he will only need to bike 20 miles.

Herbeck and San Lucas Mission are taking sponsorship for every mile originally walked. The goal is to raise over $900,000.

To support Herbeck’s work and learn more, visit sanlucasmission.org/bike.