North Fayette man plans to bike 335 miles for adoption fundraiser

Dave Wallace woke up this winter with the idea of cycling 335 miles from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C., to raise money for adoption services.

The inspiration was simple — his adopted 13-year-old son, Zak.

“It was shortly after we welcomed Zak into his forever home that I started having this feeling that we could do more through our story and passion for adoption,” Wallace, of North Fayette, said. “I just didn’t know what it was until that fateful January morning.”

In a matter of a few weeks, Wallace partnered with an adoption assistance charity called Gregory’s Gift and started to promote the ride.

Nearly three months later, he is hovering just short of his $100,000 goal.

With the ride set to begin Friday, Wallace and other volunteers hope the money and awareness stay rolling.

“The intent is to help 20 families achieve their dream of adoption,” Wallace said, adding that costs can often top $40,000, which can present a struggle to many.

Foundations like Gregory’s Gift are there to help, he said.

Through his efforts, 20 grants will be awarded for $5,000 each.

He’s pedaling with a passion, but Wallace laughed that he had no idea what he was getting into with the fundraiser.

“I didn’t even own a bike helmet,” he said.

Now, he’s training to cycle 335 miles in three days. A fellow adoptive father, Joseph Johnson, will join Wallace on the GAP trail.

Johnson’s adopted daughter, Maya, had been left on the steps of a police station in 2015 as an infant.

“For the next three years, she was an orphan,” Johnson said. “Adoption takes a toll. The time required is substantial and you are probably committing to at least emotional therapy for the next 10 years to help grow a secure attachment between the child and the new family.”

There are about 450,000 orphans in America who have no family to care for them, he said.

“This is the time in their life when a child usually feels completely safe with their parents and needs to feel that way to grow in healthy ways,” he said. “When they need the most care, physical and emotional, they end up being as vulnerable and alone as a person can possibly be.”

Wallace’s wife, Erin, said their story was a quest, one with ups and downs and a bit of surprise.

“The weekend after we learned that our last round of IVF was unsuccessful, I was feeling exceptionally defeated and broken,” she said. “I can say that at that point I had finally given in to the realization that starting a family was out of my hands, and I was to trust that God had a plan.”

The day their son Zak was born, the Wallace’s were on a waiting list for adoption.

Erin Wallace was working in the labor and delivery unit at Allegheny General Hospital and Zak’s birth mother came in with the intention of giving her newborn up for adoption. But she didn’t have a plan.

“Just as chance would have it, I was the only one working the floor with the doctor because all of the other residents and PAs were pulled away,” Erin said. “I had the amazing opportunity to assist with Zak’s delivery.

“I never expected that this baby would be my future son.”

Dave Wallace said that as he prepares for his ride to begin this week, he’s found it almost more important to raise awareness than money about the rewards of adoption.

“We would like to be able to help other families receive this gift and to make their dreams come true,” Erin Wallace said.

For more information, visit journeyforadoption.org.