Erik Bendl
Louisville, Ky.
E-mail: Erik@Tool.net

At first it seems mighty strange to see this oversize, bright blue-and-green world globe bouncing down the sidewalks in Louisville's Highlands neighborhood or cresting a hilltop in the city's stately Cherokee Park, with a husky, gregarious man shoving it along.

And then it makes you smile.

Meet Erik Bendl, 36, who by all accounts has led a rather normal and relatively quiet life ... until he acquired his Earth Ball this year.

At just an inch under 6 feet, Bendl stands on just about even terms with the 50-pound ball. He first encountered the gigantic globe as a camp counselor years ago, where it was in his charge as the camp's "Games Master." Recently, camp officials, seeking to discard the old globe because no one was using it any more, thought of Bendl and offered it to him as a gift. Needless to say, he was elated.

He gave it to his son, Ethan, for his seventh birthday last spring, and since the ball proved too large to be much fun in their tiny city back yard, they started rolling it around the neighborhood.

Bendl enjoyed the exercise and the relaxation, but it didn't take him long to realize that something more important was happening: The incongruous sight of a large, colorful Earth and a jovial guy rolling it through the Highlands made people curious ... and it also made them happy.

Just about everyone who sees Bendl and his rolling globe pays attention. Some just stare. Many wave. Some yell, "Thanks," and a whole lot of them stop Bendl to chat. And just about everybody smiles.

Rolling the globe is good exercise, but not as easy as it looks. On downhill grades, he needs to get around in front of it to keep it from getting away. And it tends to wander toward the curb because city streets are humped a bit in the middle for drainage; and when he gets a crosswind, look out!

"Flats" aren't much of a problem, Bendl adds, although once the globe picked up a push pin and had to roll it into a nearby service station for a patch and a shot of air.

"I do it for fun," he said during a recent Earth Ball jaunt, nudging it up a rise on Deer Park Street. "It's real relaxing ... it's like being a kid again!"

But then, thoughtfully, he added, it's more than that. It's just a big toy, and fun ... but then, as Africa rolls over Antarctica and down past Northern Ireland and Palestine and Bosnia and it all blurs into a spinning sea-blue-grass-green whirl, "It's a rolling metaphor."

And now, at least in part because so many people have asked him what charitable cause he's pushing for, it occurs to Bendl that he could turn the globe into something important. Perhaps even a way to raise money for a major charitable interest. He'd love to do something good for diabetes research, as his mother died of complications from that disease; but he's not picky. World hunger? Homelessness? Just about anywhere that people need help, Bendl says he'd be willing to roll on their behalf.

In this "possible dream," Bendl envisions a well-publicized, coast-to-coast Earth Ball quest in which every city, town and village along the way would sponsor walk-a-thon's and similar fund-raisers for the cause. All he needs is a charitable partner to cover his modest expenses and count the donations as they come, er, rolling in.

Could it happen? Whether you're a supporter, a cynic or, best of all, a potential charitable partner, Bendl welcomes your comments, thoughts and wishes at erik@tool.net.

All the feature stories on @GRASS-ROOTS.ORG's pages are reported and written by Robin Garr, a prize-winning journalist who has visited more than 500 innovative grassroots programs in all 50 states since 1990.

Browse his book, Reinvesting In America, at Amazon.com.

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