Surrounded by family members, and with a police escort, John and Jane Hall completed their journey of more than 12,000 miles Thursday, in the same spot it had begun, Evergreen Cemetery in Lompoc.

The Bike Ride Around America (BRAA) began with John hopping on his bicycle April 1 and heading south with Jane following in a support vehicle. They set out to travel the perimeter of the lower 48 states to raise money to fight cancer.

The Halls returned to town 121 days and more than 12,000 miles later, having raised awareness and $120,000 for two cancer charities — The Lance Armstrong Livestrong Foundation, and the Susan Butcher Family Center in Anchorage.

A chronicle of the Hall’s journey, and their fund-raising efforts is available through the BRAA Web site, www.bikeridearound

america.org/.

All nine of John’s brothers and sisters, along with friends from the community, formed a procession in cars and bikes with the couple as they traveled from Allan Hancock College down North H Street into the city. Signs and banners along the side of the road greeted the couple, and let other passersby know about their journey.

“Their mission is to raise awareness and some funds,” read one sign. “Congratulations on your 12,000 journey,” and “John’s butt is sore,” read others.

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The procession stopped in front of City Hall, where Lompoc Mayor Dick DeWees spoke during a brief ceremony.

“I know they (John and Jane Hall) say they reside in Alaska, but we want to claim them. Welcome home John and Jane Hall,” DeWees said to applause from the family and community members who had gathered.

DeWees also declared July 31 as John and Jane Hall Day.

The signs, procession and the City Hall ceremony were surprises for John and Jane Hall, courtesy of younger brother Jim Hall, an attorney in Lompoc.

“It’s quite a monumental thing, what he did,” Jim Hall said after the ceremony.

Also at the ceremony, Jim Hall presented a check for $2,235 from the Lompoc Kiwanis to BRAA, the proceeds from the ride’s kick-off barbecue in April.

“We knew we had your love and support all 12,000 miles,” Jane Hall said at the ceremony.

“There’s a lot of great places to see, great places to live in this nation, and Lompoc is one of the best,” John Hall said, thanking the city for its support.

He also reminded the audience to remind loved ones to receive regular health screenings, like the one that diagnosed Jane Hall with an early stage of breast cancer last year.

“Today, she’s a survivor and still my boss,” John Hall said.

The procession left City Hall and headed south on C Street, ending at the cemetery at the graveside of the Hall siblings’ father and mother.

The Halls had picked the location as their starting and ending point because John’s mother had died of cancer, as had his brother-in-law, Larry West, who also is buried there.

John Hall, a self-professed exercise freak, said he would be working out soon enough, and might even do some bicycle riding in the near future. But for the near future, he had a different goal.

“Just putting my feet up for a few days.”

Glenn Wallace can be reached at 737-1059 or gwallace@lompocrecord.com.

August 1, 2008