Want to have an amazing bicycle adventure and support the Sierra Club's work at the same time? Then Climate Ride may be just the event you've been looking for.
Climate Ride is about cycling, green energy, combating climate change, promoting sustainability, meeting inspirational people doing great work in all these realms, and making lifelong friends. It's also about riding 300 miles through some of the country's most beautiful and historic regions."
The reward for this commitment is the experience of a lifetime through some of America's most beautiful landscapes. Participants meet and network with leaders in sustainability, renewable energy, and environmental causes while raising awareness about the Sierra Club's cause. Climate Ride also has optional bus transportation for people to March and Ride.
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Climate Ride is the nation's largest cycling event dedicated to active transportation, sustainability, and environmental causes. The national Sierra Club is a beneficiary of this year's Climate Ride, and now is the time to register for the remaining 2014 events.
This September, Sierra Club volunteers and staff will be participating in Climate Rides in the Midwest and Northeast. (The first Climate Ride of 2014, a 250-mile ride through California wine country from San Francisco to Sacramento, took place in late May.)
But there are still a few spots left in the 300-mile Midwest Ride from Grand Rapids, Michigan, to Chicago on September 6-9, and the 300-mile bike ride from NYC-DC Ride from New York City to Washington on September 20-24 if you register now. (There are also spots still open for a 5-day Climate Hike in Glacier National Park from August 24-28.)
By participating in one of these rides, you can make a difference by raising awareness about the causes you hold dear and raising funds for the Sierra Club. "The Sierra Club is excited to be partnering with Climate Ride in our fundraising efforts, and in raising awareness about climate disruption and sustainable transportation," says Jesse Simons, the Club's chief of staff who plans to participate in the NYC-DC Climate Ride. That's Simons below with daughter Eloise on California's Big Sur coast.
The start of the New York-to-DC ride is being timed to coincide with the People's Climate March on September 21 in New York City, as international delegates arrive for the September 23 U.N. Climate Summit. The People's Climate March, co-sponsored by the Sierra Club, is shaping up to be the largest-ever demonstration for climate action.
"We are excited to have the national Sierra Club join Climate Ride as a beneficiary in 2014," says Michelle Levitus, beneficiary coordinator for Climate Ride. "In the past, riders have been able to raise funds for the California and Florida chapters. This year we've added the national Sierra Club and the Club's Washington, D.C., Chapter to our exceptional list of organizations that riders can select to support while participating in any Climate Ride event."
Here are more details on the Midwest and NYC-DC Climate Rides:
Climate Ride Midwest: The Midwest ride spans three states and connects two vibrant cities, while exploring some of the best biking in the country. From the trip start in Grand Rapids, Michigan, we ride past historic lighthouses, blueberry farms, and quaint artist villages. We’ll also visit Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore before pedaling on paved rail-trails to a bicycle path on Lake Michigan that affords stunning views of Chicago’s dramatic skyline. The last 6-mile stretch leads up to Grant Park -- known as “Chicago’s Front Yard” -- for the ride finale.
Climate Ride NYC-DC: The ride begins in the heart of New York City to the tip of Manhattan where a ferry that will carry us off the island and across New York Harbor to New Jersey. From there we travel along country roads passing through Princeton, near Valley Forge, into Pennsylvania Amish Country, crossing the Susquehanna River into Maryland Horse Country. After a day of pedaling past farms and silos, we reach Maryland horse country. On the fifth day, riders cycle past the iconic Washington Monument to arrive at the U.S. Capitol. A highlight of the ride is that Climate Ride arranges appointments for every rider to personally meet with her/his Congressional representative. It makes a big impression to pedal 300 miles to meet your Member of Congress.
All photos courtesy of Climate Ride.