5/27/2021
Hi, I'm Peter! Beginning June 1st, I will be riding solo, unsupported, across the USA. I anticipate the ride to take me two months since I will be riding on dirt for substantial portions.
While the trip will be a great adventure for me, this trip is also a fundraiser to create paid internships for low income students who are members of the environmental club at San Lorenzo High School. If you would like to support the environment, first-generation students, and the continuation of the club please donate to the GoFundMe found here. I chose to ride for their club because unlike more well-known charities, their club has little ability to perform community outreach, especially these days. The money you contribute will go directly to students and will have a substantial impact on their lives. More information on the GoFundMe below...
CA —>MA: Pedaling for Educational Opportunities
The San Lorenzo High environmental club has helped many low-income, first-generation students educate not only themselves, but their local community on Native American uses of native plants, wetland restoration, and the ever-growing necessity of gardening with natives. Outside of their direct work with native plants, the club is also responsible for recycling all the paper and beverage containers on their campus, have performed landscape demonstrations on lawn removal, and participated in over twenty restoration projects on public lands. Through these activities, the club has created leadership positions while also performing community service, setting up many of their first-generation students to pursue college.
Unfortunately, the club is now at a crossroads. For the last eight years the environmental club at San Lorenzo High School has raised money through a native plant sale that is run cooperatively with the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour . The sale is the primary fundraiser for the club and the pandemic caused the 2020 and 2021 sales to be cancelled. Additionally, the founding teacher has just retired. While he still volunteers over 10 hours a week at after-school and weekend club activities, it has become far more difficult to recruit students to join the club. An issue only compounded this last year with the pandemic and no students being on campus. Finally, the school district suspended a class that would allow students to receive academic credit for their work at the club. These events happening all at once has greatly reduced membership and also what the club is capable of doing.
I am passionate about caring for our environment as well as equal access to education. In order to support both passions I will be bicycling across the country to raise funds that will be used to create paid internships for the underserved students who are active in San Lorenzo High School’s environmental club. The internship program will be overseen by Steve Wiley and Alan Fishman, who manage the San Lorenzo High School’s native plant garden and nursery.
Paid internships for members of the environmental club would free students from having to take after-school jobs to help support their families, which many students are doing these days. Working through high school often leads students to perform worse academically and also prevents students from participating in clubs simply due to a lack of time. The paid internship you would be contributing to would allow students to continue supporting their families while participating in a club that not only benefits them, but the rest of us with their work in supporting the environment, and also allow the club to survive this particularly difficult time until things can return to normal. The faculty and adult volunteers will train the interns in horticultural and leadership skills so that they can teach and lead other students, helping to strengthen the environmental club at this difficult time.
My goal is to raise at least $5,000 for these paid internships. In order to do this, I need to raise one dollar and twenty five cents for each mile I pedal on this 4,000 mile long journey.
(This is a general route, actual route will vary)
If you can help out, please visit the GoFundMe page found here.
Goal: Raise at least 1.25 cents per mile:
One cent a mile would be $40 coast to coast
Two cents a mile would be $80 coast to coast
Three cents a mile would be $120 coast to coast
Four cents a mile would be $160 coast to coast
Five cents a mile would be $200 coast to coast
Other mile and dollar amounts are welcome! For larger contributions, if you give me your information I will write you a thank you postcard from your state of choice along my route! (Route to be finalized soon)
Please share this GoFundMe with anyone who is passionate about the environment, education, or cycling!
Thank you!