KANSAS CITY, Mo. (March 29, 2024) – A newly retired Silicon Valley account manager will hop on his motorcycle today and embark upon a 17,000-mile trek to ignite awareness and support for Children International, the global nonprofit he has championed for more than three decades.
Will Pizzolato, 67, of Sunnyvale, California, will make a solo journey around the circumference of the United States over the next four months, dipping into parts of Mexico and Canada along the route. Pizzolato’s “Ride for Children International” is the latest demonstration of unwavering support for his favorite charity and for the organization’s mission of ending poverty for good.
Over the past three decades, Pizzolato has helped uplift the lives of nine children and youth in Latin America who strive to break the chains of generational poverty. His personal encounters in Guatemala and Mexico have shown him firsthand the transformative power his charitable contributions continue to make on the lives of children, families and entire communities.
“As a longtime sponsor, I’ve witnessed the tremendous impact of Children International’s efforts in helping children and youth get the health care, education, life skills, job-readiness training and confidence they need to create lasting change in their lives and communities,” Pizzolato said. “Now that I’ve had the good fortune to retire, I’d like to continue to support those in need and am reaching out to friends to see if they’ll help support me.”
With his newly established fundraising webpage, Pizzolato, who is freshly retired from the semiconductor industry, is asking for supporters to pledge $5, $10 or more — any amount they’re comfortable with — for every 1,000 miles that he covers on his ride, with 100% of the proceeds going to Children International.
“Some of us have the opportunity to share our good fortune with others who are less fortunate,” Pizzolato said. “As the grandson of immigrants who grew up poor, it hurts my heart to see children and families living in poverty for no other reason but the place and circumstances into which they were born. When people rally behind the idea of making children’s lives better, even in small ways such as contributing to a charity ride, there’s no stopping the impact we can have in changing the world and ending poverty for good.”
Children International is a global nonprofit organization that delivers child and youth development programs to help break the cycle of generational poverty. With operations in 10 countries — including the United States, where it is headquartered, and Colombia — the organization uses a personalized approach to provide access to healthcare, education, mentorship, and life and job skills to help young people thrive through the first two decades of life and prepare for sustainable employment. Children International Colombia serves more than 21,000 children and youth across three major cities: Cartagena, Barranquilla and Santa Marta. In addition to Colombia and the U.S., Children International also works in Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, India, Guatemala, Mexico, the Philippines and Zambia. To learn more, visit children.org.
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