Schleihauf began the Child Soldier Cycle last year when he travelled solo on one wheel from Victoria, B.C., to Ottawa for the same cause. Before joining the other four riders in Ottawa this year, he did the same, making him the second person to ever ride across Canada on a unicycle.

After the riders received a blessing from the St. Joseph’s Catholic parish community in Ottawa on Aug. 1, they rode onto Parliament Hill where they officially kicked off the tour. St. Joseph’s is the parish of four of the five riders, where they are involved in the youth and music ministry. The church also served as spiritual sponsor of the tour.

“When kids come up with a ministry that is socially conscious... any time there’s an interest in reaching out to those who are vulnerable and marginalized, we support it,” said Fr. Richard Kelly, pastor at St. Joseph’s.

The cyclists collected red hand-prints on their journey, symbolizing an urgent need of attention towards this global problem. At stops in 24 different cities and towns, including Montreal, Quebec City and Charlottetown, the riders spread the word on the streets, in schools and at churches, asking people to paint their hands and “sign” pieces of paper to support their cause.

The red hand-print is an international symbol of child soldiers and is more striking and personal than a scribbled signature, say the riders. The group will send one hand-print of each pair to the local media, the other to national outlets.

“The media is not reporting on the news, but there is news to report,” said Schleihauf. “A lot of people have heard about it, but they find it hard to see the reality of it.”

There are more than a quarter of a million child soldiers in Africa, Asia, Central America and Europe, often abducted and forced to join armed forces. From as early as the age of five, these children are abused, raped, sent into combat and frequently ordered to kill their friends or members of their family. If they refuse, they themselves will be killed.

Recognizing a lack of media coverage, rider Jamie Macdonald, 18, wrote on the Child Soldier Cycle web site, “No one person can make this difference; this is a call for global consciousness.”

“The guys aren’t doing it just to say they did it,” said Kate Macdonald, mother of Jamie and younger brother Sandy, 15, the tour’s youngest rider.

Macdonald is one of many parents involved in the cycle. While she acts as a contact for the Child Soldier Cycle while staying in Ottawa, four other parents are accompanying the group by car as they bike on average 80 km a day, carrying food and what little else the riders brought with them.

“The support has been tremendous,” said Schleihauf about both the parents and St. Joseph’s, which together have provided the riders with contacts and accommodations along their way.

The riders have created a ripple effect along their trail. At home in Ottawa, Daniela Gunn-Doerge, sister of 18-year-old rider Ben, has been collecting red hand-prints after Sunday Masses. In Quebec City, Richard Proulx, a youth worker who took the five boys in for three days, organized an event for them and made plans to take his youth group into schools to collect hand-prints.

Cyclist Matthieu Hallé, 18, set up a camera rig on the handlebar of his bike to document the trip. The team used these and other clips to produce daily updates on the cycle that they posted on YouTube.

To see the updates, learn about child soldiers and more information, visit www.childsoldiercycle.ca.