Summer is a time for traveling. This might include a trip up to the cabin, a flight to your sister’s on the Fourth of July, a cruise through the Caribbean, or a roadtrip across the Midwest. But what about biking 1,000 miles?

A father of seven, Bill Currie of St. John the Baptist in Excelsior, is biking around the Twin Cities — the equivalent of the distance between St. Paul and Dallas, Texas — in 30 days. He started June 1.

He’s not doing it for just the health benefits. Currie is asking friends, family, corporations and strangers to sponsor his 1,000 miles to benefit Total LifeCare Options for Women. With a goal of $10 for each mile he rides, he plans to donate half the funds to TLC and the other half to his local LifeCare Center in Minnetonka.

“For me there’s not enough love in this world,” Currie said. “I want these women to know that they’re loved, that I care and that they’re not alone.”

With 31 centers in Minnesota and western Wisconsin, TLC offers pregnancy tests, counseling, information, prenatal medical care, ultrasounds, clothing, cribs and other resources to women who need help when they have an unplanned pregnancy.

Why is he doing this?

A friend of Currie challenged him to ride 1,000 miles in June. Just before the month began, he heard the Lord tell him to ride the thousand miles for this fundraising reason. Currie accepted the challenge.

“I have to admit God’s done that quite a few times in my life. I haven’t always said yes,” Currie joked.

Currie and his wife Juli are parents of seven children. With high tuition costs, Currie said many people ask how he plans to pay for their college educations.

“I was kind of sick of people equating children with money. If a woman wants to keep her child and raise it, it shouldn’t be finances that holds her back,” Currie said.

When asked who inspires him the most, Currie did not hesitate to say his wife. Juli homeschools their six sons and daughter, ages 4 to 18, and in 2006 and 2007 she raised money for ProLife Across America while training for and participating in the Twin Cities Marathon.

“My wife is a tremendous athlete. I’m just a tremendous trainer, I’m not a racer,” Currie laughed.

Currie said his endeavor is “about caring for people.”

Will Cossairt, executive director of TLC, said Currie’s effort impresses him very much — that he gave up most of his free time for this cause and “is risking traffic and bad weather and a lot of injury.”

“It blesses me that someone would use their creativity and make such a great commitment,” Cossairt said. “Bill is putting himself on the line in giving us so much of his time and energy.”

On Wednesday, June 12, Currie fell over his handlebars twice. The first time he wound up on a railroad track and the second time he fell into a tire-size-deep pot hole. Currie sustained a gash to his leg and large scraps to his hip and elbow.

“This is not an easy challenge. Even for a guy that bikes and likes to bike,” Currie said.

“I think in the Gospel, it was the widows who were the most vulnerable,” Currie said. “Today I believe it’s young, pregnant women; a lot of times poor . . . and I want to show that people still care, people want to help them through it,” Currie said.

As of June 17, Currie is at $6,495 for each mile he rides. To sponsor Currie in his biking for women, visit http://milesforwomen.com or search Miles For Women on Facebook.