For each of the past five summers, Girls Inc. Board Member, John Reschovsky, has cycled the Erie Canal from Buffalo to Albany to raise funds for Girls Inc. of the Greater Capital Region. We’ve been starting to wonder when John might tell us that he’s ready to hang up his helmet and retire. But that’s just not John! Rather than cycling the Erie Canal, John has decided that, ”just for a change of scenery,” this summer, he’s heading to the rugged Great Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland!
This spectacular cycling tour will include passing through the heart of Gros Mourne National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with striking geological formations. John will follow Newfoundland’s western coast northward, and spend a day cycling the rugged, treeless coast of Labrador, before continuing to L’Anse Aux Meadows at the northeast tip of the peninsula. It was here that Vikings first occupied North America some 500 years before Columbus.
John tells us that he is a bit nervous about doing this tour. Unlike the almost flat Erie Canal trek, the Newfoundland tour is quite hilly with a cumulative elevation change of 18,000 feet over nine days of riding. John says, "I’m not sure if I can do that rigorous a ride, but I am inspired by the girls who are encouraged to push beyond their comfort zone each and every day at Girls Inc."
John’s bike trek will start on June 29th and end on July 8th. He is asking you to join him in making a difference in the lives of girls who are facing huge challenges in their young lives. If you have contributed to John’s past Bike Treks, thank you for your generosity and for helping to raise more than $50,000 over the years. If you have not participated before, please join this incredibly generous group of supporters.
You can pledge a few coins or dollars per mile that John rides (if he completes the full ride it will be an estimated 412 miles) by emailing Tina Gleason, Girls Inc. Development Director at tgleason@gcr.girls-inc.org or you can just make a fixed donation.
Then follow John’s progress June 28th through July 8th with his pictures and commentary here or on the Girls Inc. Facebook page.
