news-record.com

Seven teenage boys from Daystar Christian Fellowship have found a way to blend their hobby and passion for God to help raise money for a New York mission trip.

“Board for the Lord” will take place from June 28 through July 3, when Cody Bishoff, Blake Burchette, Rider Evans, Ethan Pollet, James Wheeler, John Wheeler and Alex Yonjof will longboard to Wilmington to raise money for a mission trip to New York at the end of July.

A longboard, which resembles a longer skateboard with bigger wheels, is made for cruising.

“We all came up with the idea together,” Evans said. “At first, we were going to skate to the beach just for fun. It eventually turned into fundraiser for the mission trip.”

More than 30 students are going on the New York mission trip, where they’ll work with the New York School of Urban Ministry, said Frank Bishoff, youth pastor.

They’ll help local churches, feed the homeless, work in soup kitchens, minister in AIDS hospitals and more.

“New York has many needs, so we will spend the week bringing hope to a city that so desperately needs it,” Frank Bishoff said.

The longboarders started the fundraiser two weeks ago to raise money for the annual trip with the Daystar Christian Church youth group. The mission trip will cost each teen $600.

They are asking people to pledge money for each mile that they travel. The trip is about 207 miles and will take four or five days.

“We are going to travel about 45 miles a day,” Cody Bishoff said. “We are going to contact churches ahead of time and stay at churches along the way.”

The route goes along mostly back roads, through Siler City, Lillington, Clinton, and Wilmington, he said.

Mary Yonjof, Alex’s mother, said, “These teens have an extreme passion for the Lord and to serve. Any support for this endeavor will be greatly appreciated and used to do God’s work.”

Contact LaPorsha Lowry at 373-7088 or laporsha.lowry @news-record.com