I felt inspired by the goodwill & support of my friends and family

Dear Friends, Family, and Other Interested Persons,
         First, I would like to say THANK YOU for your generous contributions to my Bike & Build fund! I am just about to reach $1000, 1/4 of the minimum requirement for my trip, and the amount necessary for me to order my bicycle! It is a very exciting time for me. I have never fundraised money before, and I really wouldn't have made it this far without your support. I am confident I will make it to my goal, thank you again :)

         Here is some background about my trip, for those reading who are not familiar:
Bike and Build is a non-profit organization that helps groups of  young adults bike across the country and build houses with local affordable housing organizations along the way. Each rider is required to raise $4000, ride 500 miles, and volunteer 10 hours with a local affordable housing organization before departing at the beginning of the summer. The proceeds for each trip are distributed in 4 ways: through en-route donations to the communities we visit, via competitive grants, individual rider grants, and pre-arranged donations.
All of the money donated to Bike & Build is tax-deductible & Bike & Build is an independent 501(c)3 organization, founded in 2002. If you would like to make a donation you can do so by going to this page and selecting my name (Concordia, Melanie SUS) from the drop-down list.

         I will be on the Southern U.S. Route, which leaves on May 18th from Jacksonville, Florida and arrives in Monterey, CA on August 3rd. A full schedule with mileage, rest, & build days is located here.
As I said in my profile, I chose this route because I really have limited knowledge of the South, and I love to travel and see new places. I have been to Florida but not Jacksonville. I've been skiing in Utah before, but only around Salt Lake City, so every city we ride through will be new to me. Plus I will be traveling by bicycle and building houses, talk about seeing the U.S. with a fresh perspective!

As soon as I get my bike I'll post pictures :D
Thanks again & keep spreading the word xx Mel