Couple bikes from Minnesota to Lambeau for charity

Rick and Robin Martinek pedaled bikes from the site of the old Metrodome in Minnesota to Lambeau Field in Green Bay in an effort to raise money for charity.

The couple — he a Minnesota Vikings' fan and she a fan of the Green and Gold — climbed aboard their bikes at 9 a.m. Monday and traveled to Titletown through wind and rain.

At noon on Sunday, they reached the Miller Gate at Lambeau Field with plans to watch the Green Bay Packers take on the New York Jets in their home opener.

Two years ago, the Martineks completed a similar seven-day trip. Along the way, they gathered donations for a Minnesota charity, Moms and Neighbors. This year, the couple decided to also accept donations for the Green Bay food bank Paul's Pantry.

Rick Martinek agreed to wear a Packers uniform for one quarter if funds raised for Paul's Pantry exceeded those collected for Moms and Neighbors. Although final counts are being tallied, he good-naturedly gave Paul's Pantry the victory and donned a Packers helmet outside the stadium before the start of the game.

He said they chose to promote Moms and Neighbors and Paul's Pantry because both serve the needy.

"We wanted to bring awareness about the need for food pantries," Rick Martinek said. "It could be your neighbor, it could be a veteran who has served the country, it could be an elderly person, it could be a family with small children that are just not quite making enough money to support the family."

The couple trained for the event. Robin did 10-mile daily bike rides, and Rick did some 40-mile rides.

They biked along many trails throughout Wisconsin.

"The wind played a factor in trying to peddle," he said. "The rain came down, the cold weather came down. But we're still here. We still accomplished our goal. We raised awareness about biking along the way, we raised awareness about our charities."

"And it also was fun," Robin Martinek added.

— pzarling@pressgazettemedia.com or follow her on Twitter @PGPattiZarling

Visit https://www.facebook.com/7daystogreenbay/timeline to learn more about the charity ride.