My Son Cycling Across the U.S.--Pedal for Peace 2008
R to L--Nueva Guinea, Nicaragua; Pedal for Peace Route; Son Ryan in white and friend Pete.
I wanted to share some exciting information about my son Ryan. Just today he began a cross-country bicycle adventure with his friend Pete Driscoll. They departed San Diego, and will wheel their way back to New England within the next two months. They plan on 65 days of riding. It's a completely self-supported endeavor, done on a just-graduated-from-college student budget! That means lots of open-air camping and sleeping on friend's couches when they can.
The best part of the trip is that my son took the time to build a web site--Pedal for Peace 2008--to turn the ride into a fundraiser for FINCA International and their Village Banking system of microfinance for the world's most impoverished people. The money Ryan is able to raise through Pedal for Peace 2008 will directly support microfinance loans to the very poor in Nueva Guinea, Nicaragua. Most of the loan recipients are women, and sometimes the loans are for as little as $50. $50, however, can help buy additional chickens so the women can see the eggs, or perhaps buy shoe repair equipment to launch a small business. These loans often make the difference between families eating or not.
Ryan spent six months in Nicaragua, the second poorest country in the western hemisphere. (Haiti is the poorest.) He attended university in Managua, then moved with FINCA field workers to live in Nueva Guinea for several months to help establish village banks in this remote region. He saw directly the positive impact microfinance has on the very poor, particularly women. He plans to go back to Nicaragua for three months when he returns from the ride.
I'm very proud of my fine son, and hope you will check out Pedal for Peace 2008 and donate if you are so moved. The site is up in partnership with FINCA, and the donation link goes directly to that organization--no middle man. And since 98%+ of the loans are repaid, it is truly the gift that keeps on giving. Be assured the money raised goes to help those who live as the poorest of the poor through no fault of their own.
I'll be posting updates as they come in. Here's the first! Pete and Ryan dip the bike wheels in the Pacific Ocean. They will end their ride when they are able to dip the wheels in the Atlantic when home again in New England!
