Mark Schultz Visits Boyhood Adoption Agency Amid Charity Bike Tour

|PIC1|U.S. Christian artist Mark Schultz is forging ahead on his "Across America" bike tour to raise money for orphans and widows, racking up 1,287 miles and $75,000 for charity.

Next week, on June 8, the Dove award-winning artist will make a special appearance at The Kansas Children's Service League (the League) in Wichita, Kansas, to help raise awareness about the more than 900 orphans in the state. The local Kansas adoption agency also happens to be the place that Schultz himself was adopted from.

"This was something that I immediately knew I needed to do," expressed Schultz, in a statement. "If it wasn't for the caring people at this amazing organization, I don't know where I would be today. May is National Foster Care Month, and I want to encourage families to consider making a lifetime of difference for the most vulnerable in our communities, the young lives of children."

After the League realized the platinum recording musician would be riding through their area, they immediately invited him to come to their Klicks for Kids Exhibit to be held in the Meadowbrook Mall in nearby Pittsburg, Kansas. Schultz agreed to come to the event - a photo exhibit of 67 Kansas children who are still waiting to be adopted.

"We are excited to have Mark visit our exhibit," explained Christy Barton, the east region community relations coordinator of the Kansas Children's Service League, in a statement. "Mark's life is a testament to the positive impact a forever family can have on a child. His appearance will help raise awareness of the hundreds of children in Kansas foster care awaiting adoption."

The Kansas Children's Service League has been around for more than 100 years, and serves over 40,000 children and their families each year through their many programmes. The League's mission is "to protect and promote the well-being of children."

Over the next couple of months, Schultz will travel more than 2,000 additional miles toward New Hampshire, where he plans to end his 3,500-mile cross-country trek, which began in California. The renowned music artist decided to make the trek after a missions trip he took with his wife Kate to Mexico in 2006. While in the neighbouring country, they went to orphanages and helped meet the needs for the children and distressed widows there.

Considering that Schultz himself was an adopted child, he wanted to make a change for the children that were suffering in areas such as the ones he visited.

Along his bike trip, Schultz is also creating 60-second updates for stations to play on their radio waves. 69 have already signed up. He is also taking breaks to make performances from his best selling album Broken & Beautiful.