DC Area Books to Prisons Cross Country Bike Tour

Welcome to BikeForBooks!  My name is Jamie Moorby, and this is my Blog about an adventure I’m embarking on in May of 2010.  Here is a bit about what it is, and where it came from!

I’ve been a volunteer for the DC Area Books to Prisons Project for more than 4 years, and during that time have sent out thousands of free books to prisoners around the country.  I have also made lifelong friends, both with fellow volunteers and with prisoners I met through exchanging letters.  As our volunteer base and thus production (packing) capabilities increase, so does our need for postage funds!  We are currently averaging about $600 per month, and the grant money we get from our fiscal sponsor, The Quixote Center, simply doesn’t cover it all.

So a few weeks ago, was brainstorming ways to raise some money, so that we could continue sending out packages at the rate we want to.  At the same time, I had a friend planning a bike trip across the country.  I moved to Vermont in Early April, and was hesitant to then leave for 4 months so soon after arriving here.  However, this spring I did a bike trip with a few other friends from New Orleans to Austin Texas, and had an incredible time!   So, I decided to put 2 and 2 together, and create an epic adventure.

I’m asking friends, family, and anyone who supports this important cause to make a contribution to DC Books to Prisoners, to help us as an organization continue our important work, and to help me get safely across our expansive country!

I plan to leave around May 18th from Yorktown, VA.  We are following the Adventure Cycling TransAmerica Route.  While this 4,200+ mile ride is sometimes done in 8-10 weeks, we plan to take more like 14-16, arriving early to mid-September.  We are planning this much time because (A) those mountains are BIG yo! and (B) we want the time and flexibility to find fun people and spend quality time with them along the way.

Please consider supporting this trip by making a tax deductible donation.  My goal is to raise $4,200 ($1/mile) for Books to Prisoners, and another $1,800 to ensure we make the trip.  (We are estimating the trip will cost a total of about $3,600 per person when all is said and done!)

In order to keep everyone up to date with how our trip is going, I will be communicating in the following ways”

This Blog, bikeforbooks.biketravellers.com:  I will have a goal of updating every week.  Each entry will include some photo’s and fun stories, as well as a brief what we did/how far we went each day type of info.

Facebook:  You can follow My Profile, or my Bike Trips’ Page.  I will try to post daily updates via my cellular telephone.

You can also make a donation and learn more about DC Books to Prisons at www.bookstoprisons.org.