Declaration of Intent

This is a declaration of intent. It is my intention to aid the affordable housing cause in this country and to raise awareness for said cause. To this end I have pledged my summer to Bike and Build, Inc. As part of this pledge, I have raised over $4,000 from various donors on Bike and Build's behalf. I have also volunteered my time at a Habitat for Humanity build site in Virginia and done research on the history of housing practices in this country.

These prerequisites having been fulfilled, it is now my intention to ride my bike with 30 other young people from Boston to Santa Barbara. As I have not trained for this endeavor nearly as much as I would have liked to, I intend to suffer a lot. However, I do not intend to quit.

En route to Santa Barbara, I intend to stop at several Habitat for Humanity build sites and volunteer my time there. Just like the paladins from the days of old, at every township I stop, I will spread the Word - the Word of Affordable Housing. And with the proper humility I will ask the townsfolk if they would care to aid the cause in the form of a monetary donation.

I intend to ride into Santa Barbara content with the knowledge that I have aided the cause - or not at all.


I'm not doing this for fame or fortune. There isn't much of either to be had. Cycling across the country is an exciting challenge, but that's not why I'm doing it either. I'm going to get in shape and learn about cycling. Surely there are friendships to be had and wonderful and beautiful things to be seen along to way. But these are all just fortunate side effects.

I am doing this because sometimes, doing the right thing is its own reward.