Seattle to San Francisco green housing bicycle tour

Nova is one of the RGBG cyclists

Seven bicyclists are rolling out of Seattle on Friday on the Ride Green Build Green bike tour to San Francisco to raise money and awareness for affordable housing.

Each of the bicyclists is raising  $2,000 to support LEED certification for a home built by Habitat for Humanity of East King County, Washington state. The seven hosted benefit concerts, T-shirt sales, and donation solicitations before the ride and will continue fund-raising efforts during the ride. All donations are tax deductible through Habitat for Humanity.

They're heading down to Olympia on the first day to visit Habitat for Humanity Olympia and tour the facilities. As they continue to San Francisco, the riders will visit sites and organizations devoted to affordable and green housing.

Stops include green affordable-housing projects, community potlucks and other events with local organizations, and meetings with advocacy organizations to learn about their work.

RGBG was started by Elise Cope, a Habitat for Humanity of East King County Americorps coordinator. She says the goal of the ride is to raise “awareness, advocacy and money in support of green affordable housing.”

“Some of the biggest impacts we have on the environment lie within the structures we build to accommodate our lives,” she says, noting that buildings in the US account for:

– 40% of total annual US energy
– 25% of water use
– 20-30% of municipal solid waste stream
– 30-40% of wood and materials use
– 25% of greenhouse gas emissions

Those who wish to join the riders for the first day or provide meals at breaks are encouraged to contact trip organizers via email (rgbgseattle@gmail.com) or phone ( 508-317-0647).

For more information on donating money to the cause or signing up as a potential overnight host or community event host, go to www.ridegreenbuildgreen.org. All donations are tax deductible through Habitat for Humanity.

If you want to see the riders off, meet them at 9 a.m. Friday on the Burke-Gilman Trail at Pacific Avenue in Seatttle.