SPRINGVILLE -- Though their cause is rooted in family tragedy, cross-country bike riders promoting child protection were jolly as can be as they rolled out of the Springville Museum of Art parking lot Friday morning.
Ed Smart, father of 2002 kidnapping/hostage victim Elizabeth Smart, and Ahmad Rivazfar, a New York father whose two daughters were raped and abused (one murdered), are riding from Rochester, N.Y., to Los Angeles to spread the word for the Surviving Parents Coalition.
The men, both in their 50s, began the ride on Aug. 21, and Friday's leg was set to take them to the Utah State Capitol. Their "Ride for Their Lives," as it's called, finishes on Sunset Boulevard on Sept. 22, the 22nd anniversary of the slaying of Rivazfar's daughter Sara.
"This isn't about two old guys riding across the country in spandex -- it's about keeping kids safe," Smart said, joined by his children Mary Katherine and Charles for Friday's trek.
Along the way, the team visits schools and organizations to promote "Not One More Child," which comprises radKIDS (safety tips for kids) and Samantha's Pride, which encourages adults to care for kids as a lioness does her pride, Smart said.
Before the ride Friday, Smart and Rivazfar visited Springville's Cherry Creek Elementary. Some students later lined the sidewalk at the museum, chanting "Not one more child" until the riders were out of sight.
For more information, visit RideForTheirLives.com, NotOneMoreChild.org and SPCoalition.org.
• Matt Reichman can be reached at (801) 344-2907 or mreichman@heraldextra.com
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