Reston’s Don Weber capped off his September finishing off a 1,000-mile bicycle ride for charity.
Weber and five others representing multiple companies rode in 1,000 Miles For 1,000 Lights to support nonprofit Watts of Love. The ride started Sept. 17 in Downers Grove, Illinois, just west of Chicago and ended Wednesday (Sept. 30) at the Herndon headquarters of ePlus, Weber’s workplace and a sponsor of the ride.
Weber, who works in information technology at ePlus, used to be a runner but switched to bicycling to reduce the wear and tear on the body and travel longer distances. The Reston resident has completed rides in multiple states before but hasn’t gone on one this long.
“It’s just amazing I can make it,” Weber told FFXnow. “Physically, some days you can go, other days you can’t. But some of the riders did [their] personal best both in climbing, elevation — 10,000 feet. Then the other guys did [a] personal best in miles — 142 miles in one day. That’s an incredible amount.”
With 1,000 miles to travel, there were certainly bumps in the road for Weber and the other bicyclists.
“Every day there was something new happening,” Weber said. “We had mechanical problems on the bikes, on the truck, the trailer. We had some physical issues … But the team is resilient that we could fix things and continue to go.”
The ride benefited Watts of Love, which provides sustainable solar lighting to communities in need around the world. The nonprofit is currently working in Malawi, an African country that has one of the lowest electrification rates among residents in the world.
Weber, who lived abroad for years, said the mission touched him by supporting some of the world’s poorest countries. He said the nonprofit’s solar lighting can help families avoid costly kerosene and spend their money instead on investments that can earn income.
“If you can bring light into places where there’s no electricity, then what that means is there’s a way,” Weber said. “Families can elevate themselves to the next level.”
Weber’s fellow cyclists, Todd Wilson and Scott Hein, and Hein’s wife Jessica have been organizing the 1,000 Miles for 1,000 Nights ride since 2023 to support families living without electricity. At the time of publication, this year’s 1,000-mile ride topped $38,000 in funds raised.
After a long ride, Weber is taking some down time before the group plans next year’s ride. In 2027, the bicyclists want to take a ride in Michigan, incorporating the scenery of Lake Michigan into the trip.
