Not all college students are heading off to summer jobs or fooling around at the beach this summer.
For instance, more than two dozen students for the University of Illinois are cycling 4,000 miles cross-country this summer to raise money and awareness for the fight against cancer. And a Purdue University sophomore plans to ride cross-country with the American Lung Association to raise money for asthma research.
They're just an example of college students who are joining cross-country bike rides this summer to raise money for charity.
Illini 4000
The aim of the University of Illinois' Illini 4000 is to raise $100,000 for the American Cancer Society research fund and Camp Kesem, which runs summer camps for children whose parents are stricken with cancer.
The Illini 4000 departs from New York City on May 25 and expects to hit San Diego about Aug. 3 after covering 80 to 110 miles a day.
You can meet the students, and leave a donation, at the Illini 4000 website.
The Big Ride
From next door in Indiana, David Lambert says he's joining some 50 other bicyclists on The Big Ride by the American Lung Association to help raise a total $300,000. The riders leave Seattle on June 25 and plan to arrive in Washington DC on Aug. 11, covering 3,300 miles.
Lambert told the Purdue newspaper, the Exponent:
“Riding your bike across the country is a big deal. The people who participate are just ordinary people who go out and do an extraordinary thing to raise money for an amazing cause.”
I'd have to agree with Lambert on both counts. While these college students are raising money for worthwhile causes, they'll also be experiencing their country as few others have — from the seat of a bicycle moving along at 12-15 mph.
If you're interested in raising money while you pedal, check out the Charity Bicycle Ride 2007 page for resources and contacts.
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