The Concordia chapter of Habitat for Humanity (HFH), a non profit housing program, is gearing up to make a difference.
On May 29, 30 students from Concordia and McGill will cycle from Montreal to Vancouver via the Trans Canada Trail to raise money for a planned HFH funded house in Montreal.
Aptly named “Bike and Build”, the tour “is a way for students to raise the money and awareness for Habitat [HFH], and to do something exciting and adventurous,” said Erin Carney, co-ordinator of Bike and Build at Concordia.
The Trans-Canada trip is one of three North American trips being organized by the director of Bike and Build , Marc Bush, a longtime HFH supporter and cyclist.
“I participated in a similar HFH fundraiser bike trip in New Haven [Ct.] at Yale University, and seeing how effective it was, wanted to organize the same type of trip in different areas,” he explained.
The New Haven trip provided a way for financially challenged students to help fund a HFH housing project, inspiring Bush to do the same with Bike and Build.
“Students have a lot of time and energy to contribute to a project like this, but they don’t generally have $50,000[USD] to spend [to build a home],” Bush noted.
As a student-run initiative, it also gives them a chance to show that “they are very capable and caring individuals who care about their community,” added Carney.
Although still in its preliminary stage, the project will help participants to raise the money through company sponsorship requests and campus fundraisers. Each cyclist is expected to collect about $5,750, for both the planned Montreal house and the trip itself.
Organizers hope these activities will raise the profile of the HFH chapter on campus, which, as Carney remarked, has only been at Concordia for about a year.
Many of the participants who sign up will do so for the adventure aspect, but end up “becoming more aware about what Habitat [HMH] and Bike and Build is trying to do,” she added.
Spanning 5,250 km, the trip will cover a lot of ground, spreading the HMH mission, as well as conducting bike safety clinics along the way. Although avid cyclists are welcomed, those without biking experience can also apply.
Training sessions with the participants will take place to help the bikers complete the trip successfully, Bush stressed.
Once the trip is completed and the money raised, construction of a proposed Montreal housing site will begin. This part will be the lengthiest, taking on average three to four months, but also the most satisfying said Carney, who has participated in other Habitat builds.
“It will be really rewarding to see the house done and know that we [Bike and Build Participants] built it on our own,” she declared.
For more information on Bike and Build, visit the website at www.bikeandbuild.org. To sign up for the bike trip, contact Erin Carney at [email protected] or look for the Habitat for Humanity table on the 2nd floor Mezzanine in the Hall building.
