Man hand cycles to raise awareness for missing persons
A hand cyclist finished his trek from Denver to Pueblo to raise awareness about missing persons cases on Sunday.
Families gathered in Mineral Palace Park to cheer rider Dennis Crowley through to the finish line.
Crowley started Wheels of Hope after learning about a missing person’s case in his community.
“I found out about a missing local girl two years ago and was so stunned by it,” said Crowley. “I thought, ‘How can this happen in America? I got involved with the family. I think everyone needs to look in the eyes of a missing person’s family because it’s something I never got over.”
Crowley completed the ride over the course of four days. He stopped in cities and towns along his route to promote his cause.
He said the first 16 miles were grueling, but he mustered through it.
“I kept thinking of the reaction I got from missing (person’s) families,” said Crowley.
Kelsie Schelling’s family gathered in the park with posters.
Schelling had found out she was pregnant before she went down to visit her boyfriend in Pueblo in February 2013. She disappeared.
“It’s hard to speak about, it really is. You just got to keep busy and you can’t forget. You wake up in the middle of the night thinking, ‘What happened to her? How did she suffer?’ It’s really tough to deal with,” said Kelsie’s dad Doug Schelling.
Doug Schelling said Sunday’s get-together should be an annual event.
“We can’t forget. We have to keep working on it and hopefully its not a cold case,” said Doug Schelling.
Robert Wells helped organize the event.
“My brother’s case is over 30 years old now and it has never been resolved,” said Wells.
He said these events are crucial because it generates awareness for these cases. He said it’s a collaboration between families and law enforcement that eventually lead to answers.
“The only way these cases are going to get solved is if that person in the community knows, comes forward to help give these families some piece and justice,” said Wells.
