Springfield 'Ride Extreme' volunteer heads back to Nicaragua

Published: Feb. 13, 2018 at 5:09 AM CST
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A local volunteer heads back to South America this week for a special groundbreaking. Gary Wilson, the Mission Director with High Street Baptist Church, went to Nicaragua last April with the group 'Ride Extreme for Youth Extreme.' It took Wilson 15 days to ride a motorcycle to the South American country. Wilson ended the trip by donating that bike to the cause.

'Ride Extreme for Youth Extreme' is a fundraiser to build youth sports complexes throughout Nicaragua. The group’s main goal is to provide a safe and secure place for at risk teens throughout the country to gather and “experience personal growth in a positive environment.” Each complex costs about $70,000 to build.

"It's a very poor area, so being able to provide something like this will help them get kids that normally might run the streets or get into trouble an alternative," explained Wilson.

While Wilson does a lot of work abroad, many people ask what he and other volunteers at his church are doing for kids here in the Ozarks?

"We're very involved," said Wilson. "We do a lot with Weller Schools and a lot with different other title one schools here in Springfield." Some of those other things they do locally include the churches power packs program which provides food on the weekends for kids at title one schools. They also organize the One Sole Purpose Campaign at the start of every school year, giving kids brand new shoes who otherwise couldn't afford them.

If you'd like to get involved and help out with any of these causes, call High Street Church and ask for Gary Wilson.