I am solo biking across the United States and raising money for charities that combat heart disease and obesity in the US. On July 1st, I will set out on my bike from Washington D.C. to Seattle, WA. The journey is around 3,000 miles and I expect the ride to take me 36 days, biking 100 miles per day and accounting for mishaps. I included an approximation of my route below. I am 20 years old and not the most experienced biker. Outside of the last few months, the last time I biked over 1 hour in one day was when I was 8. Despite this, I am eager to learn fast, explore the country, and raise money for an important cause in the process.

Recognizing that heart disease and stroke are the top killers of humanity in the US and abroad, more people in the world are overweight and obese than are suffering from hunger. More than 2 in 5 adults in the US (42.4%) are obese, and obesity is the largest risk factor for heart disease and stroke. I find it to be the biggest cause afflicting our nation that not many people are paying attention to. My mission is to fight heart disease and obesity by getting people active with healthier lifestyles, particularly kids, and so I have selected four charities that deliver on this at a high level.

My goal is to raise $15,000 which will be distributed evenly between four charities.

Follow the journey on Instagram for daily updates at Coast2Coast4Charity and donate here!

If you prefer a paper record, you can mail a tax-deductible contribution to PO Box 161585, Big Sky, MT 59716. Just write “Coast to Coast” in the memo line of your check, and it will get to the right place.

For information on the charities, please read below:

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation helps children develop healthy habits to tackle the obesity crisis. In 2020 alone, their Healthy at Home initiative helped about 2.8 million families create healthier home environments. Their partnership with McDonald’s led to over 2.5 billion healthy options being included in Happy Meals across the US. In 2017, their My Healthy Weight initiative prompted insurance coverage of intensive behavioral intervention for 10.6 million adults and children suffering from obesity.

The American Heart Organization invests in research and their efforts have resulted in a 15.1% reduction in deaths from heart disease and a 13.6% reduction in deaths from stroke since 2018.

Action for Healthy Kids fights childhood obesity and since their founding, they have positively impacted 20 million children across more than 55,000 schools, with the help of their 140,000 volunteers. Since 2009, they have awarded $9.3 million in grants to schools and districts across the US to tackle mental health issues and obesity in children.

Partnership for a Healthier America promotes food equity in the states. Their Veggies Early and Often initiative emphasizes the importance of introducing children to various nutritious foods early in life. Furthermore, their Healthier Campus Initiative partners with college campuses to encourage healthy eating and physical activity.

Legal Note: No sweepstakes, giveaways, or promotions are offered in exchange for any donations made to this GoFundme.