The Karma Ride

Hi, my name is Andre'.
 I am a proud American volunteer. I have volunteered after national disasters, and I have helped change tires on the side of the highway. It's just what I love to do.
  I started cycling in May of 2012 after moving to Lynchburg Virginia to help a family (more like my family now) with installing insulation in their home so that they no longer had to sleep in the cold.  While walking around town, a stranger gave me an old bicycle one day. And I fell in love with cycling. It changed my life! I then went on a solo bicycle tour to see my teenage son in St. Louis Missouri. 
 
 I knew my son and I would get lots out of this trip, but I wanted other people to be affected in a positive way as well. So with the help of some really amazing men in Lynchburg that helped me, I raised money for a medical clinic in Lynchburg Virginia that helps anyone that needs it whether you have money or not. 
                                      My kind of people.

While traveling through the Va/Tn area I met a lady who was loved by her whole town it seemed. She was a caregiver for the dying. After witnessing the love she had for others, and the love others had for her, we found ourselves deep into a conversation about help, and change.
 
 She told me that she admired me for wanting to help.. She told me that she donates to Cancer, and Multiple Sclerosis all the time, and that she was forced to retire because of Lupus. She said, "You know, you should do a bicycle ride for Lupus some day". I looked at her with a smile and told her "I would be more than happy to do a ride for Lupus one day". She still to this day has no idea what she started.

  The greatest feelings I have ever felt in life were experienced while doing something to help someone else.  I have decided I'd like to feel that way everyday for the rest of my life. So I've dedicated my life to helping those that feel they are being left out.

                                                    (Not Emily)

 Emily felt like she was being left out. She felt Lupus was being left out. I decided to do my best to change that by bicycling from Knoxville, Tn. to Venice, Ca. to raise money for research, and raise awareness for Lupus.  And I made it! 

(Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body)

 Now I am partnering in the making of a film called The Unity Ride. It's a film about two men that lean different ways politically, coming together in Unity while bicycling from Oceanside, Ca to Washington D.C. You can follow along at facebook.com/theunityride

I originally created this page to get help with the making of The Karma Ride. But as it turns out, I really need a motorehome.

 My dream is to be able to pull up after a national disaster and have the ability to not only help with reconstruction, but also cook a meal and provide a bed, or two for those affected. I would like to raise enough money to be able to purchase a motorhome for The Karma Ride. And I'm asking for your help.

 Feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions, OR suggestions! Thanks to you all! The Karma Ride is truly changing lives.
 

 Come on Karma, Let's take a ride!