Come rain or shine, intense heat or freezing temperatures, 45-year-old Michael Maresco pedals his way through the countryside spreading the word about Congressman Ron Paul and promoting paul’s campaign for president in the 2008 election.

Sunday, Paul joined in on the bike ride and rode with Maresco for about 10 miles before returning to his Lake Jackson home.

“That’s why I can’t fade out of this campaign very easily, with people like this,” Paul said.

Maresco, who lives in Hawaii, began his journey on Oct. 21 at the Santa Monica Pier at the end of Route 66 in California. His destination is Washington, D.C., and he has taken a southern route through the United States so far.

“The hardest thing, other than the hills, has been seeing people that don’t care,” Maresco said. “Every time I see a person who doesn’t vote anymore and is who I was 10 years ago … it’s heartbreaking.”

He said that people need to get active in politics to protect their children and their world.

“Freedom is not free and freedom takes work, and if you don’t work at it then it disappears,” he said.

Maresco said he is not a cyclist, but he has climbed mountains, backpacked through China and hitchhiked along the Australian and American coasts.

“I work long hours and I’ve been a cliff climber, a rock climber, so I know I’m in shape and I know I have a lot of endurance — and I know I have commitment,” Maresco said.

He began the trek with a partner, who dropped out the second day as smoke from the wildfires in California and the thought of riding into the unknown made him nervous about the trip.

Maresco has traveled as much as 90 miles in one day and has braved temperatures in the desert of at least 112 degrees, he said. He pulls 75 pounds of supplies behind him everywhere he goes with a bedroll, tent, change of clothes, camera and computer inside.

“I needed something to put the signs on,” he said, “because some guy on a bike is just some guy on a bike. But really I’m trying to promote Ron Paul, so I needed something to put the signs on other than just the back of the bike.”

Maresco keeps a daily blog of his journey and at least 500 people read about it, he said. Other Ron Paul supporters from around the country contact him and meet him outside of cities, he said, and they lighten the load in the two-wheeled trailer he pulls, lead him into town and even sometimes allow him to stay in their homes overnight.

Lake Jackson resident Bruce Bolock is a member of the South Brazoria County Ron Paul 2008 Meet-Up Group, and said he first heard of Maresco through that group.

“Michael uses e-mail through the meet-up group to let people know where he’s coming into town and through that meet-up he can automatically send out e-mails to all of us,” Bolock said.

Bolock arranged for Paul and Bolock to meet, and through that, the two began to ride together for a few miles, Bolock said.

Paul said it’s been an encouragement to know that he has supporters willing to go the extra mile for his campaign.

“It’s a lot of encouragement because it was a lonely battle for some time and you get tired,” Paul said. “But if you see someone doing something like this, then there’s no room for getting tired. They say I give supporters a lot of encouragement, but because they’re so enthusiastic they give me encouragement, so it’s sort of back and forth. We encourage each other.”

After leaving Brazosport, Maresco planned to pedal his way to the San Luis Pass area, and stay there Sunday night before embarking again for his final destination at the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Erin McKeon is a reporter for The Facts.

Source: TheFacts.com

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