4th Annual Goleta Beach Ride for Rwanda

Every Saturday morning, thousands of American cyclists don on their team kits and spin down to the local coffee shop to congregate with their fellow two-wheeled friends. On Saturday, February 20th, 110 Santa Barbara Middle School students and family members did things a bit differently. Inspired by the stories of farmers like Pascal who have been empowered by the bicycle (http://vimeo.com/5601774), they pedaled 9 miles on Rwandan-style muddy roads to help get bicycles to those who need them the most. The entirely youth-run event brought in over $3,000 for Project Rwanda. It was more than just a Saturday ride.

My generation is bombarded with images of war and poverty on a daily basis. Often these problems seem too far away for us to make a difference. My goal with Ride4Rwanda is to give students at Santa Barbara Middle School the chance to feel like they can actually make a difference on a global level. Many of these students ride their bikes to school, and all participate in SBMS’s 2-3 annual bike trips (a key part of the school’s curriculum). They know the power of two wheels. By helping the Project distribute something as simple and familiar as the bicycle, the students not only feel that they are making an impact, but are doing so in a way that makes sense to them.

Having volunteered for Project Rwanda both in Rwanda and the U.S. for the past four years, I have seen first hand the impact that a properly designed bicycle can have on those who need them the most. The Ride has been my attempt to bring the Project Rwanda story back to my own community. I have organized the Ride with the help of Santa Barbara Middle School students for the past four years. Over these four editions, the Ride has brought in over $11,000 for Project Rwanda. This past year, I handed off the reigns to a team of SBMS students, several of whom have taken on the cause full-time by donating a portion of their Bar Mitzvah gift money to the Project.