Hello! My name is Connor Van Orden, and I am a firefighter in North Carolina. In April 2027, I will be riding a bike 571.9 miles from the western border of North Carolina to Wilmington, North Carolina, to raise money for the North Carolina Fallen Firefighter Foundation. Along the way, my goal will be to sleep in firehouses across the state and build connections and gain experiences with other firefighters.

Here is the link to the planned route: https://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/6685138427

I will also be documenting this ride on my Instagram account. Feel free to follow along: https://www.instagram.com/cvos.ride.for.firefighters?igsh=djVtNmZ5eTZ4dTY%3D&utm_source=qr

All the money raised during this ride will be taken at the end of the trip and put towards one donation to the NCFFF. The NCFFF is an organization that sets out to remember and honor the lives of firefighters who have been lost in the line of duty. If you are interested in learning more about the NCFFF, here is a link to their website: https://www.ncfff.org/#

A little more about myself:

As previously mentioned, I am a 24-year-old firefighter in North Carolina with just about 2 years of experience in the fire service. I am married and have 2 dogs at home as well. I do also have experience with charity riding in the past. In the summer of 2024, I biked from Seattle to Washington DC with the Ability Experience in order to raise money for the disabled community and non-profits that support that community. This ride is not quite as long, but that does not make it any less important. My goal when planning this ride was to find a way to build connections amongst firefighters across the state, while also using the opportunity to raise money for a cause that supports firefighters and their families in moments of need.

I intend to fund the trip itself (i.e., food, bike, bike accessories, etc.) entirely on my own. Meaning all donations made to this page will be going directly to the NCFFF.

Please feel free to follow along and become a part of this journey. I plan on updating this page leading up to the ride and furthermore uploading daily once the ride begins on social media.

If you know of anyone who might be interested in following along, please share!