On the morning of Saturday, May 26^th, the 2007 Coast to Coast for Hope team departed westward from Yorktown, Virginia.  With sunny skies and a slight breeze coming off the Atlantic, the team ceremoniously dipped their tires into the chilly ocean waters and then pedalled onto the historic Colonial Parkway.  The next time that they see an ocean, it will be the mighty Pacific. 

The 2007 Coast to Coast for Hope Team (Bryce, Kurt, Henry, Tristan and Hayden)

All five riders were geared up, if not overly excited to get on the road.  Some last minute equipment and packing modifications along with a complimentary breakfast (donuts, granola bars and orange juice) preceded a quick round of goodbyes among the small party gathered to see the riders off. 

The team certainly has much to be excited about.  Of course, standing with their bicycles at the start of a three-month tour spanning thousands of miles is exciting in itself, but the team also knew that they had already raised over $3,000 dollars for cancer research, which is an excellent start to their fundraising campaign.  If you haven’t donated already, please consider clicking here to go to our online donation page or here if you would prefer to send a check directly to Coast to Coast for Hope. 

Kurtis Alward dips his tires into the Atlantic at Yorktown, VA

Kurt, Hayden, Bryce, Tristan and Henry have started their ride along the TransAmerica bike route, which is a well-travelled and very popular route among coast-to-coast riders.  This route will take them west into Virginia, were they will experience the Appalachians as they climb the impressive Blue Ridge Mountains.  Make sure you check back soon to hear how the road is treating the team as well as what lies ahead!

An extra special thanks from Coast to Coast for Hope to all those who were involved in getting our riders (and their equipment!) down to Virginia!  Coast to Coast for Hope’s efforts in fundraising for cancer is an all-hands-on-deck effort that closely resembles our active philanthropy philosophy – we are people who want to get out and get things done!  The folks who have worked to get our riders on the road (through graciously donating money and/or time) all deserve special thanks!

Two Rides, One Mission: Coast to Coast for Hope Riders Kurtis Alward (2007) and Brian Alward (2004)

"So… what do I do now?" Kurt’s voice was still upbeat, but he sounded much less confident than he had sounded just hours earlier. The Coast to Coast for Hope 2007 Team was still several weeks away from their departure date, but problems were already surfacing. Kurt just found out that getting a front rack for his bike wasn’t going to happen (at least not in time for his ride’s departure) and he and I were discussing other options. Pulling a trailer, while less than ideal in his mind, seemed to be the best plan. More importantly, I reminded him that in two weeks he would be on a bike heading west through Virginia regardless of his equipment choices, and that this timeline offered little tolerance for an extended debate over his preferences. "Okay. I’m going back into the shop to price some trailers. Talk to you later."

And with that, Kurt made the first of many important decisions he and his team will face this summer. On the road, things will not always go accordingly to plan. The team will take action in order to keep moving, even if the solution isn’t perfect or if the challenges still remain.

Brian Alward sits on a lonely Kansas highway and ponders a flat tire and a broken tire pump.

People who are struggling against cancer consistently face unplanned obstacles. Uncertainty marks almost every aspect of their struggle – Which treatment will give me the best shot at beating cancer? How will this affect my family and my career? Will health insurance cover my expenses? What if I don’t make it?

At Coast to Coast for Hope, we pay close attention to the different life lessons that people affected by cancer have learned through tackling these difficult questions. Beyond the inspiration that these lessons provide, they provide a modest and useful way of looking at the difficult situations we face everyday.

Kurt’s last minute equipment change taught his team to expect obstacles even prior to their first pedal kicks. From that point, the Coast to Coast for Hope 2007 Team will face countless wrong turns, flooded campsites, stiff headwinds and flat tires. They will make decisions on the fly, fix problems with limited resources, get back on their bicycles and remember a powerful lesson that those fighting cancer have taught all of us:

Keep pushing onward.

- Brian

Making a donation to Coast to Coast for Hope’s 2007 Trip and their efforts in fighting cancer has never been easier! We’ve partnered with Active.com to create a safe, secure and simple online donation center. Click here donate electronically!

As you may know, five recent college graduates from Champlain College and the University of Vermont will soon embark on Coast to Coast for Hope’s first cross-country ride for cancer since 2004.

We’re pretty excited about this new element to our fundraising program. Why not help us out and post a link to our homepage or donation page on your facebook.com or myspace.com page? Or simply forward the link directly to your friends, family and co-workers to let them know the 2007 Team and their plan to help those who struggle against cancer.

We’re just getting started here at Coast to Coast for Hope as we gear up this summer’s ride and fundraising campaign. Online donations will help to get the wheels moving, and our riders won’t slow down until they hit the Pacific!

Most people are curious to know how their donations to Coast to Coast for Hope go to work in fighting cancer. When we started the organization several years ago, we decided right from the beginning that we needed to focus on maximizing the percentage of donated money that actually ends up in the hands of a cancer researcher or someone working to make the day-to-day lives of cancer patients better. We thought that it would be very compelling to have the ability to tell our family, friends and neighbors that, as they donated, 100% of their donation would do just that. But of course, operating our non-profit (including pursuing the other elements of our mission) and physically bicycling across the country would take a fair amount of money in itself. We came up the following guidelines:

• Riders would be responsible for their own equipment – bikes, tents, gear, etc.
• Riders would be responsible for any food and sustenance beyond a $10.00 per day stipend

Coast to Coast for Hope, through donations, would try and subsidize the following:

• $10.00 per day food/sustenance stipend
• Return airfare from the ride’s destination
• An emergency “fund” for bicycle/gear repairs, emergency travel, and extenuating lodging

Still, not wanting to settle on using large portions of individual donations for these somewhat costly, albeit understandable items, we developed a plan to seek larger, “supporting grants” from small businesses, corporations, other non-profit organizations, public institutions, and other sources that could cover a great portion (or even the full amount) of these items.

This system lets us pool individual donations into a large grant that goes directly toward fighting cancer – and also allows us to assure our individual donors that their contributions will be used as such. The generosity of larger institutions lets our riders focus on what they do best: taking their message to the road as they bike across the country, talking to people about cancer (and active philanthropy!) while fundraising through even more individual donors.

If you haven’t already, why not take a minute and make a donation to the 2007 Team’s fundraising campaign? Even better, why not make a donation and then think about a potential larger donor you could help us connect with?

With donors of all sizes offering their kind support, we can actively help fight cancer as a team. The road ahead may be long, but those fighting cancer and our 2007 Team don’t plan on stopping any time soon.

Travis Rave climbs a quiet country road in Appalachia (2004 Trip). While this region has an undeniable rustic charm and natural beauty, researchers have found that cancer rates are higher here than in other regions of the country.

Thanks for checking out our new blog. We’ve made a switch to this format while we expand the coasttocoastforhope.org informational website. The blog will also make it easier to check in on the progress of the 2007 ride and fundraising campaign.

Speaking of the campaign… Kurtis, Hayden, Bryce, Henry and Tristan have officially kicked-off their fundraising efforts and are taking spring training rides in beautiful Vermont. They are rapidly approaching their college graduation (congratulations!) and will be sending out quite a few fundraising letters to family and friends as they finish up their classwork.

We had a great meeting up in Burlington two weeks ago where we keyed in on some potential routes, reviewed specific gear options and discussed fundraising techniques. I can confidently report that the 2007 team is solid. Their pooled knowledge of bicycles, camping, nutrition, and geography will certainly help them on their ride.

These young athletes embody our organization’s philosophy: We believe that monumental challenges inspire hope. As they take their first steps toward the monumental challenges ahead of them, they are stepping up their fundraising efforts in the fight against cancer. Please take some time to explore the blog and learn more about these efforts as well as the extraordinary individuals behind them.

The struggle against cancer and a cross-country bicycle ride can both be long and life-changing journeys. But it’s no coincidence that we ride for cancer; the struggle against cancer inspires us all to reach further.