Rolling across the nation for Haiti relief

Chris Lomen '10 has plans in motion to help restore the damage done in Haiti during the January earthquake by rollerblading across the eastern United States this summer. Currently in the process of raising $100,000 from sponsors, Lomen will use the money to help rebuild schools in Haiti.

Lomen, a psychology major with a concentration in management studies from White Bear Lake, Minn., had the idea of rollerblading across the country two summers ago,, but did not have a purpose.

After going on Global in 2008, the conditions that he saw overseas inspired Lomen to aspire to end poverty.

"After the earthquake [in Haiti] in January, I felt called to help with this," Lomen said. "And everything has fallen into place."

Lomen is receiving academic credit for this project, and other students, including Rachel Stranghoener '10, Evan Uribe '11, Dana Goetsch '12, Lianna Cotant '10 and Stacy Robert '10, are assisting Lomen in his endeavor.

The project is called Rolling to Rebuild, with a goal of raising $100,000 by September 30 to rebuild Haitian schools.

Lomen started rollerblading when he was in kindergarten. As a child he played roller hockey in Texas and ice hockey while growing up in Minnesota. He said he has been skating for about 20 years.

The trip will take approximately 100 days, with the hope of averaging between 40 and 60 miles a day. Lomen will start his journey July 1 and skate through the end of September.

The money raised will go to the organization Outreach International. Before the earthquake, the organization had between 70 and 80 schools in Haiti, but the January earthquake destroyed 20.

"It's such a good feeling to have something that I actually care about," Lomen said. "I could sit around and work on this all day, and it doesn't feel like work whereas schoolwork does."

The trip will begin in Minneapolis, taking Lomen through St. Louis, Mo., Baton Rouge, La., Richmond, Va., New York, N.Y. and Cleveland, Ohio.

Lomen has two major sponsors at the moment. A company called Rollerblade has donated all his skates and gear, worth about $2,000, and Creative Motion Design is creating Lomen's website for free. In addition, the Pause donated $1 to Lomen's cause for every pizza purchased during the month of April.

"It has been frustrating because probably 98 percent of the companies we've talked to only donate to a very specific cause in a very specific area," Lomen said. "A lot of people don't consider Haiti an issue anymore. But it is going to take years and years to get back to before the earthquake, and it wasn't even good then."

On May 16, there will be another fundraising event for the project. Lomen and other volunteers are putting on the Northfield Family Fun Fest. The event will feature games for kids, a moonbounce, a firetruck visit, relay races and a silent auction. The event will begin at 11 a.m. and last until about 3 p.m. at Sechler Park. Lomen said he is still looking for volunteers to help  out.

One challenge Lomen faced while trying to get this project off of the grounds was the difficulty of not being an official non-profit. To help with this problem, SGA has granted Lomen's group a temporary organization status.

"We haven't hit full swing, mostly putting all the structure in place to have a place to put the money," Lomen said.

He also explained that building schools is a long term solution to the problems facing Haiti.

"We have to have something for the kids to do. They're the future of the country, and it's important they have a safe environment to learn," Lomen said. "They're currently having classes in the streets."

Lomen has received a lot of encouragement from his peers, and he hopes that the project's momentum continues to grow at the rate it has been.

"I'm thankful to be in a position where I can do this as a class and get credit for it and do something that is actually relevant and to have people at the school be so supportive," Lomen said.

To read more about Lomen's organization and his trip this summer visit his website at www.rollingtorebuild.com.

southwor@stolaf.edu