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Young Cyclists Roll Through Area to Assist Affordable Housing Efforts

   Written by on May 19, 2014 at 7:50 am

 On May 31, thirty young adults with Bike & Build, a national non-profit committed to supporting affordable housing, are bicycling through Lunenburg, Charlotte and Prince Edward County on their journey across the United States. The riders will be staying in Dillwyn, where meals, showers, and shelter will be provided. The cyclists are pedaling from Virginia Beach, Va. to Cannon Beach, Or. to raise money and awareness for affordable housing causes.

“We are deeply proud that Bike & Build has 265 riders this year who are so committed to the affordable housing cause that they are willing to raise much-needed funds and spend two months of their summer biking across this amazing country,” said Bike & Build’s Director of Operations and Outreach, Justin Villere.  “Bike & Build provides the opportunity; it is the riders who make the impact on housing issues through our cycling trips. And we couldn’t do it without the generosity of our hosts.”

The riders will spend the night at another host in Victoria and will travel on to Charlottesville the next day.

The group will be traveling for more than 10 weeks and will help to build affordable housing in nine locations, including Charlottesville, Va., Jackson, Wy., and Boise, Id. In order to participate in the trip, each rider raised at least $4,500 to help fund the trip costs and affordable housing efforts nationwide. At the end of the trip, riders from this route and seven others will collectively grant over $500,000 to affordable housing organizations around the U.S.

Bike & Build offers eight cross-country biking trips each summer.  The 18 to 25- year-old riders see and experience first-hand the affordable housing need in this country.  They stop in towns along their route and participate in construction efforts at affordable housing sites that are in progress.  The riders also meet with local officials and community members to discuss affordable housing issues.

Based in Philadelphia, Bike & Build is a non-profit organization that encourages young adults to address the country’s affordable housing crisis through organized bicycle trips. Trip participants support the affordable housing cause by fundraising and building efforts.

Since its founding in 2003, Bike & Build has motivated over 2,000 young adult volunteers and contributed over $4.5 million and 160,000 volunteer hours to housing groups such as Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together to fund projects in the United States. For more information, visit www.bikeandbuild.org or call (267) 331-8488.

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