By: Ryan McGaughey, Worthington Daily Globe

WORTHINGTON — With two sizeable bags strapped to his bicycle, Tim Dellett still managed to speed down 11th Street like he was competing in a Tour de France time trial.

Then again, Dellett should be used to pulling the extra weight by now. He’s been traveling via bike since June 27, when he left his hometown of Alamosa, Colo., on a 1,600-mile trip to raise funds and awareness for Habitat for Humanity.

“This is my 13th year of riding,” said Dellett, who stopped Wednesday morning in Worthington after spending the previous night in Sibley, Iowa. “Every year is different; this year, Minnesota is where the annual Habitat 500 takes place.”

The Habitat 500, a week-long event, begins Sunday in Faribault and ends there the following Saturday. Overnight stops are scheduled in Rochester, Rushford, Grand Meadow, Albert Lea and Lake Crystal.

“It’s a 500-mile event that brings in riders from all over the country,” Dellett said. “There’s generally about 120 riders. One year, we had an 81-year-old woman from Florida who rode with us.”

The first 1,100 miles of Dellett’s 1,600-mile effort will take him from Alamosa to Faribault.

He’s been pedaling solo and supported along the way through the assistance of various communities.

As of Tuesday afternoon, he didn’t have a place to sleep Wednesday night, but that matter was soon resolved.

“Last night I stayed with Douglas Harding — he’s the pastor of the Methodist Church in Sibley,” Dellett said. “He’s a big trains guy … so he called a couple of his train connections up in Windom.”

Dellett said he was to stay with Phil Anderson of Windom Wednesday night.

This year, Dellett has goal of raising $50,000 for the work of Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit housing ministry that builds simple, affordable homes in partnership with low-income families. He said he did most of his fundraising through church and civic group presentations before he left. Checks can also be sent to Habitat for Humanity, P.O. Box 1197, Alamoso CO 81101; funds can be designated to a local Habitat chapter.

A member of the San Luis Valley chapter of Habitat, Dellett pedaled his bike past the Southwest Minnesota Habitat for Humanity home currently under construction in Worthington. He said that while he admires what Habitat does, he hasn’t done much in the way of physically helping the organization build homes.

“This is my main way (of involvement),” he said. “Last summer I helped tear down a house — they needed the lot to build a new Habitat house. That was great.”

via http://www.dglobe.com/event/article/id/24758/