Freedom Ride

The Challenge: 300 miles; 24 Hours; All for Charity.............. Please Help!

A lil history:
Not so long ago, I found myself living in the SC mountain-land of country roads, gorgeous views, and serene watersheds. With a new bike and little zeal, my first real bike ride was a wee lil 100 miler guided by the ever trusty george and accompanied by the knighthawk corby.  Being young and crazy, the trio of us (legs, ass, and lungs) went from not biking (outside once again trusty George), to doing 200 miles up a big hill & back (aka Mt. Mitchell; tallest point east of the Mississippi), to attempting  a distance 250 miler in one day.

People found it interesting.

So, I wanted to find a way to share our biking odysseys in a more meaningful way, and I was inspired by those before me who have turned sport into fundraisers.

The Challenge:
With a few more miles under the belt a new challenge was needed. My brothers are still only marginally impressed with my biking so far, and I happen to agree. So.... I'm trying to go from Greenville, SC to Green-e-ville, TN and back in one day. Almost the same route as the 250 miler, but with a little more kick, and this time it is going to be solo. The 300 mile forecast shows a few less hill climbs, a lot of darkness, five state crossings and some real potential for sleep ridin', hallucinations, broken butts and a lot of fun.

The Goal:
My goal in riding that far is to raise $2500 for some of my favorite charities.

The Reason behind the Season:
Whether we are standing shoulder to shoulder, we haven't seen our friends for some time, or we hear about a stranger in need,  we -as humans - help. It's called fellowship. It's called community, and it is the reason we get up when it's still dark outside. 

In the best of times, these are charities that bring us all together, in person, working together, but in the worst of times they must find ways to keep going. Because their missions are too important to let today's hurdles stop yesterday's progress or tomorrow's future.

The Ask:
I'm asking you to support these charities with a $25-$75 gift (or whatever your budget allows) to help our friends in need. And because together we can, I will be personally matching 10% of all donations.


The Charities:
Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County : I started volunteering with Habitat in 2019, and what immediately struck me was the vitality of their mission. They help families- who otherwise likely couldn't afford it- responsibly own their own homes. In what feels like an old fashion barn raising ceremony, volunteers of all abilities (alongside a few professionals and the future inhabitants) are taught how to build a house from the groundup. Everyone participates. Everyone learns.  And most importantly, cycles of instability are broken. #homemade

Fundación de Ingenerios en Acción (FIEA): I was first acquainted with  FIEA  in college, working on an international development team to build footbridges. FIEA was our local Bolivian partner, specializing in clean water and infrastructure projects empowering health, safety, and growth in rural communities. They welcomed these 8 American engineering students into their world and together we made a difference. But more importantly they (FIEA) are still out their completing new projects, and I/we (my team) are back home. Financially speaking our dollars go a long way in their country, and it helps fill a void in their resources while local capabilities grow and more international students will discover Bolivia/real engineering. #empowerment

My Block, My Hood, My City : With all the racial protest going on, I've come to realize there is a problem in America and minority racial groups are repeatedly held down. This is my first step in trying to fix that problem, and if you aren't already ahead, I hope it can be yours as well. I'll be donating to My Blocks efforts to expand youth's - in under-resourced communities- opportunities to growth and awareness of a future. #equality


*************************************** -TLDR- ***************************************

I would really appreciate your donations to a couple bomb-ass charities that help people make it and inspire everyone involved to have some fun while doing so.

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How Donations Will Be Made:

I will withdraw the donations, split it equally among the three charities, and make the donations on behalf of Freedom Ride. If you have questions let me know.