A few miles down the road they pulled into the Bean on 41 in Punta Gorda for a tasty breakfast of java, smoothies and bagels courtesy of our new friends at the Bean on 41, Bob and Elly. The basket in the foreground is filled with Publix receipts — the result of a month-long collection effort undertaken by Charlotte County Fair Food allies to demonstrate the depth of support among Publix customers for the Campaign for Fair Food (and to give Publix an idea of the amount of money those customers choose to spend — and could just as easily choose not to spend — at Publix every week).

The baskets, along with literature on the campaign and inserts in congregational bulletins, are sitting in the sanctuaries of a dozen houses of worship throughout the neighboring hamlets of Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte. Elly, who hails from a fiercely pro-labor Scottish family, learned about the efforts in her church and requested a basket for the front counter of her popular cafe…

… which, conveniently, is situated just a stone’s throw from the Publix that would unwittingly play host to the bike tour’s press conference following breakfast.

After purchasing two tomatoes at the Publix next-door (at a cost of $3.71 for roughly a pound of tomatoes), the tour contingent began the press briefing. CIW members Wilson and Oscar were sure to drive home the fact that Florida farmworkers receive less than 2 cents for harvesting the same pound of tomatoes. (A fact presented in a great 2-minute video report by local SNN6.)

Following the press conference, Punta Gorda’s United Church of Christ provided a delicious Mexican meal for lunch, as the Rev. Bill Klossner treated the bike crew to his recollections of traveling from the UCC Synod meeting in 1973 along with scores of others to join the United Farmworkers on the picket line.

With the journey by bicycle nearly one-third completed, the pilgrims hopped in a van for a restful afternoon in the nearby fabled Warm Mineral Springs. In the parking lot, Darinel spotted a stunning white pigeon, a sign of good fortune in the Mayan traditions of western Guatemala.

After a rejuvenating soak that helped to relax the riders’ exhausted bodies, they returned to the spot where the bike trek had left off (but not before two of the team took the opportunity for some well-deserved shut-eye).

And they would need it — the stretch that would come next included a daunting traversal of the mile-long bridge spanning the Peace River, connecting Punta Gorda to Port Charlotte.

They pedaled against the wind… and straight into a storm that would not relent until they had reached their destination: a pleasant meet-up with the Episcopal Church Women of St. James parish.

They were immediately greeted by Father Cesar Olivero and the kind souls of his congregation who brought the sopped crew several dry shirts and some warm tea. An additional gift was a basket full of Publix receipts — collected over the past month during Sunday worship services — to take with them on their sojourn to the grocer’s corporate offices.

The sensational West Indian supper was a special, hand-prepared treat — a table full of dishes that reflected the national origins of their gracious hosts, with inspiration from Jamaica, Grenada, and Trinidad cuisine. The tour crew rounded out the evening with a presentation at St Maximilian Kolbe, where many of the congregants have been active advocates of a more humane tomato industry since the days of the Taco Bell boycott.

The next morning, dear allies again awaited the bikers at the conclusion of a 20-mile, mostly pre-dawn ride that delivered them for an early morning presentation at the Venice United Church of Christ.

It was the first of a trio of presentations that day, the next taking place at Venice Presbyterian as part of a potluck organized by Church Women United, bringing together dozens of new faces from a myriad of congregations to learn about the prevailing industry standard for more justly produced tomatoes, thanks in no small part to the support of people of faith in urging retailers’ participation in the Fair Food accords.

The evening closed with the team’s arrival at Epiphany Cathedral, home to a cherished team of social justice enthusiasts, and on this occasion the site of a very special visit by none other than Bishop Frank J. Dewane of the Diocese of Venice, who blessed the bicyclists on their mission and prayed for a successful visit with Publix leadership.

But education must be coupled with action if change is to be made, and the tour’s Epiphany hosts jumped at the chance to participate in a new coordinated effort to invite Publix customers to include CEO Ed Crenshaw in their prayers, that he may muster up the strength and wisdom to do his part to better the lives of the men and women who harvest the tomatoes sold in Publix’s stores. Bishop Dewane was one of those who gladly requested a “Prayer Commitment Card from a Disappointed Publix Customer,” a new drive that will be elaborated on in coming updates.

So, check back soon for more reports from the road as the bike tour continues on its way to Lakeland!