The Kinsinger family, Ella, Anna, Sarah, Andrea, Jay and Benjamin, are taking part in a bicycle ride from Ohio to Notre Dame. The family has a cottage on Dewart Lake (Photo provided by Jay Kinsinger)

The Kinsinger family has made many memories over the years while biking together.

They are sure to add to those over the next three days while doing their part to help a cause they believe in.

The Kinsingers, Jay and Andrea and their four children, left this morning on the Ride for Life. The 237-mile event began at the University of Dayton and ends Saturday at the University of Notre Dame.

The Kinsingers, who have a cottage on Dewart Lake, have quite the love for cycling. Jay, who is an assistant professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering at Cedarville University in Ohio, builds wooden bikes. The family of six is riding on three tandems for the trek to South Bend, including a pair of wooden ones built by Jay.

“Biking is who we are and our thing,” said Jay in a phone interview Tuesday night. “We pedal as a family and have done it all over (including San Juan and Europe). Some of our best and worst memories are on bikes.

Jay took part in the inaugural event, sponsored by the Life Resource Centre and Dayton Right to Life, by himself last year.

“Last year was really a meaningful time to be part of this ride,” Jay said. “We were all riding for a cause we believe in and it was a great time. I thought that it might be fun for our whole family to do together.”

“The bottom line is that we like to spend time together as a family.”

The Kinsinger contingent includes daughters Ella (21), Sarah (19) and Anna (15) and son Benjamin (11).

“I think our kids are more excited about the ride now than they initially were,” related Jay. “They found out tonight (at a dinner for the event) that there are younger people on the ride and not just old folks like Dad and Mom.”

Kinsinger rode one of his hand built wooden bikes a year ago.

“I just love bicycle and woodworking,” related Jay of his penchant that started some five years ago. “I just fell in love with it. The flexibility you have with the wooden bikes is great. They are beautiful and sustainable.

“I’m just thrilled and thankful that Cedarville University has been so supportive of my bike building. I use them as part of some class projects too.”

Kinsinger has had his bikes on display in a museum and one of his tandems was named “Best of Show” by Bicycling magazine at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show.

A big draw of the ride is also the fact that the family gets to spend time in Kosciusko County. Jay’s grandfather built the cottage the family own on Dewart Lake.

“It was a kid’s paradise for me growing up, fishing with grandpa there, learning how to ski,” related Jay. “We were married there on the beach at Quaker Haven. It’s just an extremely special place to our entire family. A big part of the appeal of this ride too is that we get to spend time in Kosciusko County.”

The Kinsingers will get an added bonus Friday evening. While the remainder of the group will stay on the Grace College campus before heading for Notre Dame on Saturday to complete the ride, the Kinsingers plan to stay at Dewart Lake.

“We’re going to cheat and stay at our cabin Friday night,” quipped Jay.

The group of bikers, including the Kinsinger clan, are expected to arrive at the Gordon Recreation Center on the Grace College campus Friday afternoon between 2:30 and 3:30 p.m.