Oct. 10, 2024
Albemarle colleagues and other biking enthusiasts pedaled through brine fields in Columbia and Oachita counties in Arkansas to raise money for an area domestic violence shelter.
The sixth-annual Pedals for Compassion event in early October offered three courses: 15-, 45- and 100-mile routes on nearby gravel roads starting from the Columbia County fairgrounds.
Lesley Thompson, an engineer at Albemarle’s Magnolia facility, serves as the event coordinator. She is an avid cyclist and a longtime supporter of Compassion’s Foundation, the local nonprofit that provides shelter, support, and resources to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Northwest Arkansas has become a popular place for mountain biking, and some of the interest in gravel there and in other places has brought riders farther south.
“Gravel riding is growing,” she said. “There are great places to ride between Magnolia and Shreveport (Louisiana). People are branching out and finding routes and communities are building the cycling infrastructure to attract riders.”
This is the sixth year of the local event, and it has allowed Thompson to bring two passions together: cultivating a cycling community and helping people in need.
More than a dozen Albemarle employees and relatives either rode the course or provided volunteer support or baked goods for the event.
Compassion’s Foundation offers vital services to women, children and men who have suffered domestic violence or sexual abuse. By working locally, they ensure that victims do not have to travel long distances to receive help.
