The email from my friend Keely went something like this: “I’ve got a crazy idea! You’re crazy… want to do it?” My reply went something like this: “Of course I do!” The crazy idea was a bike ride around Western Africa in an attempt to raise money for a community centre in Jacmel, Haiti. I loved the idea but didn’t think it made any sense to pedal in Africa for a Haitian cause so the polished version of her plan is a bike trip from Montreal to Miami through NYC (all three cities have large Haitian communities) and then maybe on to Hispanolia to pedal around the DR and Haiti.
I’ve never done a long distance bike trip in my life. Or even an overnight hike, for that matter. I do love cycling though, so there’s that. Plus it’s just something I’ve always wanted to do. Long distance bike trip + travelling in the US + raising money for a good cause = killing three birds with one stone on my ‘to do’ list.
Keely is a friend I met for the first time while volunteering in Haiti in 2009. She spent around five or six months there and then, like me, returned after the earthquake in 2010. She spent a lot of time this time around working with artist’ in Jacmel, polishing off her Creole skills, making local friends and really getting involved in the community. We get along, she’s artsy fartsy like me (she’s a photographer and an artist) and we’ll have a lot of fun and get up to some serious mischief… that’s guaranteed.
This whole thing is her baby and I’m just along for the ride. I’m going to whip up a website when I get back to Kigali at the end of May and help with fundraising, promotion and sponsorship ideas but she’s got plenty of ideas and contacts already and has a vision… which is perfect for me. I’ll help where I can and let her define the path this thing takes. The pressure is off me which is good (especially since I’ll be in Africa for most of the lead up to this crazy event) but I’ll be there to do what she needs doing and help with whatever I can.
We’re thinking of leaving in August 2012 from Montreal and planning for the trip to take about three months. It gives us plenty of time to organize but committing to something so far in advance is a bit scary for me. I haven’t even looked at a map so far, have no idea of the route, and no clue about how crazy this adventure will be but I know we’ll figure it out and turn it into something great. We want to raise the money and also attempt to put Haiti back on some people’s radars… at least for a little while… because there’s still plenty to do over there (which I’m sure will be depressingly evident once I get back next week).
Has anyone done a trip like this? Got any advice? Tips on wrangling freebies? Sponsors? Any and all help would be great including any links you have to the websites of people doing fundraising bike journeys. Words of encouragement? Words of warning? Words of “you’re nuts!”?
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