California man makes a pit stop in Panama City during charity motorcycle ride

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) — A man from California is combining his passion for motorcycles with his devotion to helping children, into one long ride and made a stop in Panama City.

“By the luck of birth, I’ve been really fortunate and by the luck of birth, some other people haven’t been so this is an easy way for me to help people,” Will Pizzolato said.

In 1991, Pizzolato started sponsoring children through Children International , a global nonprofit.

“I’ve seen the difference in how we live and the opportunities that the folks there really don’t have and so since 1991 I have sponsored nine children, three of which I’m still sponsoring in Guatemala and Mexico, ” Pizzolato said.

“We are truly walking alongside them on their journey to adulthood and if you think about the young people in your life, no young person succeeds alone. No young person grows and thrives alone. It happens in the community and so we are serving as a community of source to prepare these young people to be the leaders of the future,” Children International External Communications Director Stacy Adams said.

Earlier this year, Pizzolato retired and a week later, he started his engine and hit the road. So far he has traveled 5,500 miles. By the end of the journey, he will have traveled 17,000 miles.

“This is an ultimate gift to enter retirement and rather than decide to ride off into the sunset and lie on a beach somewhere, he’s riding his motorcycle to help children around the world, and I think that’s really a powerful statement and really it exemplifies the care and loyalty that many of our volunteers have for Children International,” Adams said.

He says the two main challenges so far are weather and mechanical issues. But he’s been able to keep going with the help of other people, some of whom were total strangers.

“Here’s a man I just met on a ferry, and he offered to escort me for 400 miles to make sure that the fix was solid and that’s generosity from a person I never knew before and that touches me,” Pizzolato said.

Pizzolato hopes more people rally behind him and Children International to make a difference for those overcoming poverty.

“We have opportunities for careers and growth and to create families where we can have children and give them good lives. This is an opportunity to try to give those people an opportunity to step up like that,” Pizzolato said.

He’ll continue his journey around the States and through Vancouver, Canada before returning home to California.

Click here to see an interactive map of his path and here for blogs he will continue to post throughout his journey, which in total should take about four months. If you want to donate, click here .

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