Motorcycle enthusiast and Platte City resident, Brian Weed, is preparing for a unique ride beginning on July 24. He and 11 other motorcyclists on the Ride Extreme Team will set out on a 2,000-mile, off-road journey on the Trans America Trail from Trinidad, Colo., to Port Orford, Ore., to raise global awareness, and $1.2 million for Trailhead International.
Ride Extreme 2025 – Trans America Trail will be an ambitious journey along challenging back roads and gravel trails to raise $1 million in order to build 25 churches around the world, plus $200,000 for the Trailhead Legacy Foundation to build churches in the future. The team has already raised $400,000.
Trailhead was established in 2017 and its mission has been to build safe, permanent and accessible church facilities and at-risk youth centers worldwide. It is a faith-based, non-profit organization that raises funds to support people in impoverished areas of developing nations by building church and community centers, and developing sports centers for at-risk youth to help get them off the streets and connected to local churches.
Weed has been involved with Trailhead since the beginning. Weed and his wife, Rachael, who is from Costa Rica, were missionaries in Nicaragua. They are both graduates from the missions course at Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Mo.
“Nicaragua is part of our family ministry, which also includes Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, and Panama,” Brian said. “Trailhead works in all those countries, and in total, it works in 46 countries. I worked in Nicaragua for 20 years while living there, and continue to help build church facilities.”
Brian, who grew up in Saint Joseph, moved with his wife to Platte City after their missionary work in Nicaragua, to establish a home base to operate and lead Trailhead International.
More than 75,000 people around the world are involved with the Trailhead organization. There are 6,000 leaders in more than 300 locations in 46 countries, with more than 300 projects impacting more than 75,000 people.
“Trailhead's mission statement effectively describes what it's all about: 'Trailhead International is on a strategic mission to build a church within reach of every person on earth,'” Brian said.
While he will be one of the 12 riders on the Ride Extreme Team, he is also the organizer of the event. “I am the organizer, however, several men have done these events with me and shared the load of preparation for this event,” Brian said. This is the fourth event, but only the third one involving motorcycles. The third event was a Cannonball Run, with cars (even an ambulance) traveling from North Texas to San Diego.”
More than $1 million was raised in the first three events combined, and Brian hopes that letting people know about the upcoming ride in July will inspire others to participate, donate, or spread the word about Trailhead's mission.
It is an essential mission for Trailhead to have not only a church, but also a youth outreach within reach for everyone on earth, and Brian said that faith is key. “People have congregations, but are held back by resources, the ability to buy land, and the ability to build facilities. When we build a facility for a church in an underdeveloped nation, they typically triple in size or more. That means they are impacting the local communities more effectively.”
For Brian, seeing more and more people gaining access to churches being built around the world, along with youth outreach programs through Trailhead International has been a rewarding experience for his whole family.
To learn more, or to make a donation, visit: trailheadinternational.org