Part of the 12th Annual Ride for Haiti (approx. 337 miles across CT & MA)
On a mild September morning, the 2026 Ride for Haiti made a heartfelt stop at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick in Norwich, where a lively group of students from Saint Patrick School greeted riders Jim Hubert, Tom Campbell and Ron Paine. The welcome was warm — filled with smiles, applause, and prayers for the cyclists continuing their 337-mile journey across New England.
They were greeted at the Cathedral by the entire Cathedral school, the principal, and several friends. The students were very polite and asked a lot of questions about the ride. The riders jokingly apologized to them for taking them away from their classes to meet!
An Eventful Day
It was a full day for meeting friends and supporters of Outreach to Haiti. Riders Tom Campbell and Ron Paine began the day in Hebron, CT, visiting the Haiti Committee at the Church of the Holy Family. It was cool and partly sunny, with temperatures in the low 70s.
Tom and Ron were joined by Jim Hubert, who rode with them to the Cathedral in Norwich, the next stop on the ride. Jim rode the first 21 miles with and then rode back to his home in East Hampton, CT on his own. The route to the Cathedral took them on a road that goes from Colchester to Norwich, the most direct route to the Cathedral. A few miles before the end of this road, they saw a sign that said the road was closed. It directed them to a detour that would take them on Route 2, which is a highway! They were concerned that we would have to find another way to the Cathedral, which would require several more miles and steep hills, but then decided to continue down the closed road to see if they could walk their bikes through the closure. Workers at the site were nice enough to wave them through and even help carry the bikes up the small dirt hill.
The riders left the Cathedral, and headed towards Westbrook CT, backtracking the last 6 miles or so to get there. It was then that they realized they had to pass through the road closure. There were different workers there, who told them they couldn’t go through, but after informing them they had already passed through, they waved the riders through. The trek continued to Westbrook by way of Bozrah, Salem, Lyme, and Old Saybrook. The ride included Saybrook Point.
They ended the 68-mile ride for the day at St. Mark’s Church in Westbrook, where they were greeted with hot beverages, snacks, and a very generous donation from the parish’s Walk with Haiti ministry.
Faith, Friendship, and a Purpose Bigger Than the Miles
Now in its twelfth year, the ride held from Sept. 28 to Oct. 2 symbolizes the distance from one end of Haiti to the other—about 337 miles—and raises awareness and support for vital programs serving communities in and around Port-au-Prince. The Norwich stop connected our diocesan family directly to that larger mission, reminding all of us that faith in action travels far: from a bike trail in Connecticut to parish clinics, school programs, and nutrition initiatives in Haiti.
Why the Stop Matters
Each planned stop along the route strengthens ties between local communities and our brothers and sisters in Haiti. These encounters amplify the ride’s message: when we accompany one another—through prayer, friendship, and practical help—hope grows. For the riders, the Cathedral welcome provided a boost of energy; for the students, it offered a concrete way to see faith lived out in real time.
About Outreach to Haiti & How to Support
Proceeds from the Ride for Haiti support Outreach to Haiti’s long-standing work: healthcare, education, nutrition, and parish twinning that connects communities in Connecticut with partners in Haiti. If you’d like to follow the daily ride updates, learn about the route, or make a donation, visit the event page below.
See Ride Updates & Support the Mission
Event overview and mileage from Outreach to Haiti’s official ride page.
