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@thedreamprojectnj
@thedreamprojectnj is now accepting applications for its 2017 summer bike ride. Interested in raising some money, riding some bikes, and doing some good? Check us out at thedreamprojectnj.org or email [email protected] to find out how to be part of our next adventure! 🚲
@thedreamprojectnj is now accepting applications for its 2017 summer bike ride. Interested in raising some money, riding some bikes, and doing some good? Check us out at thedreamprojectnj.org to find out how to be part of our next adventure.
Calling all adventurers.
It started with a dream.
A small group of college students formed with the simple idea of making dreams come true. Dream4TK set out to raise awareness and money for Embrace Kids Foundation. To pursue this goal, five Rutgers students and alumni biked 1,615 miles from New Brunswick, New Jersey to Disney World in Orlando, Florida during the summer of 2013. They set out to start not just a fundraiser, but a movement. With the help of sponsors, their friends and family, Embrace Kids Foundation, and a team of incredibly motivated Rutgers students and alumni, they were able to make their crazy, "impossible" idea a reality. They hoped their feat served as a symbol for any child or family struggling with disease, and as inspiration for anyone hoping to make a positive difference in the world. Dream4TK was a completely student-run grassroots group and hoped to continue inspiring others as their mission continued to live on past their inaugural trip.
Today, The (newly named) Dream Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering a new generation of young adults to become leaders within their communities through service and civic engagement. Through local partnerships, we encourage those between the ages of 18-25 to think creatively and plan adventure-based fundraising initiatives to support the mission of charitable organizations. Dreamers embody the core values of creativity, perseverance, grit, and compassion as they learn the importance of fulfilling one’s own dreams while helping others realize theirs as well. By pledging to take part in one of our Dream Journeys, Dreamers pledge to raise money while committing to a summer of service as they bike, run, or hike towards a brighter tomorrow.
In honor of how we all started, our second Dream-venture will be a repeat of the first; we’ll be biking to Florida to support pediatric cancer patients through Embrace Kids and the Ronald McDonald Houses. The ride will kickoff on July 1st of 2017 with a launch celebration at Buccleuch Park in New Brunswick, NJ and will end in Disney World in Orlando, FL at the end of the month. The cyclists and the support team will travel down the east coast while raising awareness for the struggles of families and children affected by cancer and participating in community service activities.
If you’re between the ages of 18-25 and want to find out more information about getting involved, drop us a line. Read everything you need to know about becoming a Dreamer here and apply here. Neither biking nor fundraising experience are required.
Interested in donating to the cause or becoming a sponsor? We’d love to hear from you.
Where will your dream take you?
Happy Dream-versary
One year ago today we embarked on a life-changing journey. Through swamp land, southern heat, state lines, summer storms and city streets we biked 1,615 miles from where we started while spreading awareness for a truly exemplary cause. What better way to celebrate our Dream-aversary than bike rides dipped cones?
The Dream Team is scattered across the country these days which why we made a pact to meet up every other summer in one spot along our bike ride and reminisce about the fateful summer that brought us all together.
You are all the rocks of my sometimes unsteady heart. Whenever i am challenged professionally or personally i take a peek at the remarkable photography from the trip and can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of confidence. Thank you for all being such prolific individuals, miss you all.
-Brendan
There are only a handful of moments that really define our lives but when we were like two miles out doing Cliff Blok shots was absolutely one of them.
-Phil
I'm still not sure how to say what I feel but I'm just so thankful I got to be a part of this trip. I wouldn't have met Ramon, Jovelle, or Natalie (maybe even Gabby) and I wouldn't have had the chance to grow so much closer with Brendan, Phil, and Sameen if it weren't for Dream. You guys are all great friends and you are all so amazing. That is not an exaggeration in the slightest. You're my role models and my source of motivation when I'm trying to get through a challenge. Lastly, this is cheesy but any time I ride down Canal Road or hear that one Fleet Foxes song it all comes rushing back to me and there's just this intense feeling of nostalgia and being home sick. I really miss experiencing the highs and the lows with you guys. I have so many jokes that no one gets anymore. what we experienced I truly believe was a rare journey that very few people will get to have in their lives. I am just happy to call you all friends.
-Ricky
Thank you to our family, friends, sponsors, host families, donors, volunteers, and fellow Dreamers. Without you, none of this would have ever happened.
Thank you so, so much to everyone who came out to the “Dream4TK: Taking the Long Way” Documentary Premiere documentary premiere. Your support throughout this entire journey is what kept us going day in and day out. Our chapter of Dream4TK is coming to an end, but the dream lives on.
GABRIELLE, DAY 28: FROM ORMOND BEACH TO ORLANDO, FL
We woke up bright and early on Saturday, August 26. We debated the logistics of just how early that wakeup time would be the day before because we knew we had 100 miles to go and we knew we wanted to get to Disney World early in the afternoon. At this point I was just hoping that adrenaline and Tinker Bell’s pixie dust would carry us those final miles into Orlando. We turned on our bike lights and set out into the foggy morning with Minna at 6am, not sure how the day would unfold but anxious to find out. With the sun just beginning to rise, we pedaled alongside an access road of I-95 alternating between reminiscing about our favorite memories of the trip as a group to sitting quietly with our thoughts individually.
The weather was ideal for biking- just a little cool due to the early hour- but there was something else in the air; an indescribable energy we felt as we pedaled along, stronger, smarter, and more skilled than we were 1,500 miles ago. I remember those first few miles when we had just left New Brunswick as we biked through Franklin trying to figure out how the next month would play out. I have to say, my expectations for the trip could not have been further from the actual events that played out. The trip for far exceeded even my wildest expectations yet with a lot of planning and just a little bit of luck, we had managed to get to Florida.
By 9:30am we were already 50 miles into the day. I got to see my cousin and her son as they met up with us at our halfway check point at a Raceway Gas Station.
We continued along our merry way, nervous energy building with every mile more we biked.
We stopped to take a photo in front of the sign welcoming us to Orlando, trembling with excitement- well some of us were trembling from excitement. Others of us (read: Ricky) were trembling from the consumption of 21 Clif Bar Blocks eaten over the course of nine hours.
My heart was pounding out of my chest as we navigated the busy streets of downtown Orlando. Phil whom made it the entire trip with the truest tires (which means that they stayed completely straight) and neither a single popped tube nor worn tire, got a flat less than fifteen miles from the end. Based on principle, he fixed it with a Nature Valley wrapper and some crazy glue so that he could start and finish the trip with the same wheels he started with back in New Brunswick.
Sameen was on directional duties for the day. At the beginning of the day he put in “Walt Disney World” into Google Maps and it literally took us to the very sign we agreed upon to be our final destination. We pulled over on the side of the road less than two miles from the end to soak in the enormity of the moment. We all took two Clif Bar Block and made a toast to the friendships we had formed along the way, the 1,600 miles we had biked to Florida, and the people who helped us get there. There were so many times that I wanted to be done riding for the day, but I wished the road leading us to our destination would go on forever. I wanted those miles to stretch out before us like the previous 1,600 had behind us. The 1,600 miles of climbing, soaring, cursing, sprinting, chasing and singing that were behind us. 1,600 miles of hills, heat and headwinds; fatigue and frustration; sunburn and saddle soreness.
The last two miles after that were such a blur. A summer storm had just passed through so it was hot and muggy. Brendan’s dad was standing in the street ushering us towards the sign that Mrs. McCartney and Terri were holding. We got off our bikes and my legs were trembling more than they ever had on the hardest day of riding. Just like that, we were done. There were hugs and cheers and tears and smiles as we all stood around in disbelief. We did it. We made it from New Brunswick, New Jersey to Orlando Florida in less than a month. As I write this seven months later, I am still overcome with the enormity of that moment. Thank you for this trip, Dream Team. It was the most incredible summer of my life and one that I will never forget.
PHIL, DAY 27: FROM ST. AUGUSTINE TO ORMOND BEACH, FL
The ride from St. Augustine to Ormond Beach was one of the prettiest on the trip. There were lots of flat roads and things to see on the way. This was also the day our trip “ended”. In a very anti-climatic manner the odometer hit 1,500 miles and we were on a straight piece of road in the middle of nowhere. We stopped took a picture, commented how it wasn't even the last day and jumped back on the bikes. With that said it was a good feeling hitting that final milestone before the last day.
For lunch we met up with our homestay for the night, Minna who lead us back to her house in Ormond Beach. This was one of the days that having a local helped out so much. After bringing us through very scenic back-roads with so much green foliage and vines it felt like we were riding in Jurassic Park. A bit of Ramon had rubbed off on me as I felt the camera constantly running and my arm actually getting tired from holding it up and keeping myself balanced. She then pulled us off the road to a dirt path to Bulow Creek State Park. Not far from the edge of the dirt parking lot stood this huge tree. The Fairchild Oak is one of the largest live oak trees in the south and has been standing for over 400 years. It was so large and old that it's limbs bent to the ground from the weight, burrowed itself under and then sprouted up again as large as most normal trees. There was an immense amount of power and knowledge that you could just feel in the air around the tree.
400 years ago predates the United States. It also predates the Jamestown colony, slavery in America, the Mayflower and all of these things that are almost too old to fully wrap our heads around. This tree saw the Revolutionary and Civil War, the Founding of every College in America, the Industrial Revolution, our first steps on the moon, everything. I can't express what it was like to be next to something living that was that old. It felt like a time capsule, a guardian who was silently watching. For about half hour of one day it saw us and we became part of that timeline.
After leaving quietly in awe we got back on the bikes and make it the short piece of the way to the house. There we re-grouped in the pool (a necessity at this latitude) and planned out the last day. It was a weird topic of conversation and there was so much that had to be done. Jumping out of the pool Brendan and I started to re-organize the trailer but this time we had new piles. “Throw out”, “send home” became labels and even though it didn't feel like it, falling asleep to Brendan playing the guitar, it was the last night of the trip.
GABRIELLE, DAY 26: FROM JACKSONVILLE TO ST. AUGUSTINE, FL
Day 24 was supposed to be a rest day before our push into Orlando. We had community service work a the Ronald McDonald House of Jacksonville in the morning for two hours but had no reason to stick around after that. Jacksonville didn't have much to offer us and we wanted to break up the following day's ride a bit.
The Denay family met up with us that morning to help out with the work we were doing. It was a lot of fun to hang out with Gianna and Ethan who definitely added a refreshing sense of humor to our morning with their smiles and jokes.
At the Ronald McDonald House I met the Weiland's whom commuted regularly from their home in St. Augustine to volunteer. I casually told them about our trip because they were quite curious as to why eight college kids were up so early on a summer day to sweep floors and clean windows. Upon hearing our circumstances they immediately opened up their home to us for the evening. With under six hours notice, the Weiland's were one of our most gracious hosts and we were truly, truly appreciative of their efforts. After finishing up we headed back to our Jacksonville homestay to clean up, nap, and mentally prepare to ride. It had been raining all day which did nothing to encourage us and we were all feeling less than stellar after a rough night of sleeping in tents.
Alas, we sucked it up and headed out. Once we got into the groove, the ride was fast and flat. We all wanted to get from point a to point b as quickly as possible as reflected in our pace. The weather started to clear up as we entered St. Augustine and tried to find our homestay's house.
We were so spoiled this night. The Weiland's live in a gated community within a gated community and as soon as we arrived we all piled into their golf cart for a cruise over to the pool.
After swimming with their younger son and showering we all enjoyed burgers for dinner before settling in for the night. I remembered watching television for the first time during the trip on this night. None of us had more than a vague notion as to what was going on in Syria so viewing the events as they unfolded on television (something I don’t think anyone watched since we left New Brunswick) was a bizarre mix of absurdity, confusion, and horror.
The next morning we woke up refreshed to take on the trek to Ormond Beach.
Letters to Sofia: We're in Florida!
Hi Sofia!
We're in Floridddddddddddddddddddddddddda! We crossed the state line yesterday and it's been raining ever since- so much for the Sunshine State. We only have 160 miles left until we finish in Disney on Saturday and I'm so excited! This trip has been incredible but I'm ready to go home. The best feeling is sleeping in your own bed after being away from home for a while. I can't wait to see my family and friends and you!
Sending love from St. Augustine- Gabrielle
Dear Gabby
It's OK if you sent me 1000's of pictures. My dad's job is an engineer with electronics but he takes so many photos he acts like a photographer so I'm use to it. we are going to a party tomorrow. Its my cousins birthday, she is turning 8, I cant wait. I bet when you get to Disney you may wish you can hang out there. If I was you I would hide in Disney and when your team leaves you go have fun for a little bit and then you catch your plane. You deserve some fun that does not involve you bicycling ... or moving.
By the way, I was wondering, what is your favorite food to eat when you're at a BBQ. if you had to chose between hot dogs and hamburgers which would you chose?
I wanted to tell you about something I have been thinking about. I been thinking about making an animate movie. I thinking of calling it tic tac toe the movie.The plot of the movie will be; in a world split between the x's and the o's, three people, tic ,tac and toe must fight the x's and the o's to get them back together again. what do you think?
love Sofia
RICKY, DAY 25: FROM BRUNSWICK, GA TO JACKSONVILLE, FL
Since the beginning of the trip every once and awhile Phil would bike up along side me and say, "Hey Ricky, guess what!" I'd start to reply because I knew what he was gonna say but before I could he'd yell, "We're biking to Florida!" It sounded too absurd to say out loud. It made us sound crazy (and we were). Today though was the day we were actually getting to Florida. Yeah that's nuts.
We were supposed to travel along Rt. 17 right into the city. We had a very intimate relationship with that road. Pretty much we had followed rt. 17 on and off ever since leaving the Outer Banks (that's North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and into Florida). After our fiasco with the bridge being out on our way to Brunswick we did some reconfirmation of the route. It turns out that the rt. 17 bridge entering Florida was out and the only way we really could cross the Florida/Georgia border if we went that way was to get in the van and drive along 95 to cross the water and then reconnect with rt. 17. At least we figured all this out before getting to the bridge this time! Our ride was leisurely until a thunderstorm came rolling in right behind us. We decided to keep going and were basically running from this storm trying to make it to Florida. It was rainy and thundering as Sameen and I peddled together in the front and I was not happy about the weather at all, but the moment we came across that "Welcome to Florida" sign we just couldn't stop cheering. We actually biked to Florida. I remember us resting at a crappy gas station on that road hiding from the rain right after crossing over, everyone was so happy. It was definitely a milestone.
Now Jacksonville is a gigantic city. We had to peddle our way through the outer suburbs, through the city center, and out towards more residential neighborhoods to get to our destination for the evening, the home of a young woman who worked at a bike shop in the area. Navigating that was a big challenge partially because of all the stop lights, bridges, highways and turns, but also because Florida drivers seemed to not care one bit that we were on the road with them. I was actually concerned that someone would hit us. When we arrived our host wasn't able to meet us for a few hours, so we set up our stuff and did the only thing we could, drive to the beach and eat ice cream.
The rest of our time in Jacksonville was odd to say the least, but I won't harp on that. The best thing from this day was that we actually made it to Florida!
GABRIELLE, DAY 24: FROM RICHMOND HILL TO BRUNSWICK, GA
The riding portion of this day was demoralizing to say the least. We left Richmond Hill and were making great time. We only had about sixty five miles to go for the day so the SWAGon went right ahead to our host family’s house and left us to our own devices. We were about five miles away a little before one pm, excited that we were going to beat the heat for the day. All was going well until we got to a bridge which the town had started construction on just the day before. Phil tried talking to the construction crew about letting us cross but there was literally no bridge for us to cross. We retreated a mile or so back to a gas station to reevaluate our plan. The road we were trying to cross paralleled I-95. The SWAGon could have picked us up and taken us across the interstate but we decided that doing so would be in violation with our mission. There was a third road that paralleled the road we tried to cross and I-95. that would be a thirty five detour. We the restocked on food and water, enjoyed the last moments of air conditioning within the gas station convenience store, and headed back out to what was now the hottest part of the day. It was days like this where we biked from gas station to gas station, stopping every ten to fifteen miles to re-hydrate and recuperate.
We eventually got a bridge- the Sidney Lanier Bridgeto be exact. With four lanes of traffic, it was a pretty intense bridge but we pressed on as we usually did. As climbing to the top I took a second to take in the view and snap a photo before descending down the other side. I actually hate going downhill on my bike. The guys loved it just about as much as I hated it. Sameen how many mph he could rack up on his odometer as Phil would ride with no hands trying to get more Gopro footage. Given this, they were way ahead of me as I tepidly made my way down the bridge. Halfway down of me silently cursing to myself and trying not to feather the breaks, my front tire blew out and I swerved into traffic. A tire blowout occurs when the inner tube of your wheel suddenly pops, as opposed to a slow leak that usually occurs when one gets a flat tire. At this point I was completely stuck so I walked my bike down the other side of the bridge while trying to call everyone else. I found Ricky but Brendan, Sameen, and Phil were pretty far ahead. Ricky and I couldn't fix the tire ourselves because we spread out all of our supplies between the five of us so while I had a tube, neither Ricky nor I had a pump. We walked for almost a miles on a desolate with very little shoulder and lots of bugs. The rest of the team finally circled back and we got to work fixing my tire. In the process of doing so we managed to pop our three spare tires and blowing a c02 tank. With a little ingenuity, Phil managed to pieced together a usable tube with some crazy glue and a Clif Bar wrapper to get me to the Denay’s house fifteen miles away. We were doing alright until Ricky got two flat tires in a row, one of which was two miles from our final destination. Once again, Phil engineered a patch with a Clif Bar wrapper and crazy glue.
We were so, so, so happy to meet the Denay family- albeit four hours after we anticipated arriving. We immediately followed Gianna and Ethan to the community pool. Jumping into that cool water instantly dissolved our day’s journey. That was the most incredible thing about our host families- no matter how tough of a time we had getting to them, their warmth and hospitality
PHIL, DAY 24: FROM RICHMOND HILL TO BRUNSWICK, GA
There were many times that my faith was restored in humanity and a lot of those moments happened so far from home. The Girardo family, New Jersey natives, who currently live in Georgia, were back visiting family when they heard about the Dream4TK adventure. They checked the route and saw that we were going right through them and immediately reached out to help. But in order to get to these open arms we had a long piece of road in front of us
Where Virginia was the most bike friendly, Maryland the hilliest, and the Outer Banks the windiest, Georgia was hands down the least bike friendly state on the trip. There were many times we shared very large roads with even larger trucks and vehicles that did not take notice of cyclists. Also, for lack of a better term, Georgia was smelly from all of the old paper mills and blistering hot. It just made for a long ride.
We were doing well though and were only a few miles from the end when we started noticing something weird. Cars that passed us, we would all of a sudden see a few minutes later heading in the other direction. This happened a few times until someone finally stopped and told us why. The bridge was out ahead. We were crushed and couldn't believe it. However, sure as anything a half mile away the bridge was out. Sameen and I talked to the workers and they pointed to the next bridge up, I-95 and said we could cross there. Cyclists can't ride on an interstate and you couldn't pay me to break that rule in Georgia. We consulted the map and saw the next bridge up could get us there but that would be a huge re-route. Standing under 2 miles from the end we had to re-route 25 miles around to get the next bridge. We were crushed and pulled in at a gas station to refill and take a short break after doing an already long and strenuous day.
I was hot and tired and at this point lost all reservation of sleeping anywhere and slept in the shade in front of the gas station. I tried to put my legs up to let some of the blood drain but that didn't last for long. After we all did whatever we needed to cool off we got back on the road to find the next bridge.
Throughout the trip I did like all of the bridges we got to see and this was another monster. They're amazing feats of engineering and the other plus is that this even had a huge shoulder so we got a lot more room. The climb up was awful but the ride down was worth it. I set the camera up put in a few peddles at the top, took my hands off the bars and started videoing Brendan and everything around us. There was a splice in the road which I saw late and hand to drop my hands to the bars fast to keep the bike in line. Thinking nothing of it I put in more peddles, maxed out speed and coasted probably a whole extra mile without putting in any effort. Once the speed boost died down I pulled over and waited for the rest of the team. Brendan, Sameen and I got together and laughed about how cool of a hill that was and stood in the shade waiting for Ricky and Gabby.
A minute passed and we didn't think anything of it. We loved the speed that came with the downhills and worked hard on the front side to get there but they didn't appreciate it in the same way and started behind us at the bottom. Two minutes passed and we were straining out necks trying to pick them out on the road behind us. Five minutes passed and we started getting worried We tried to call and I don't remember what happened but then we started getting really nervous. I flipped around and peddled hard back to the bridge. I remember looking at everything on the horizon and thinking is that them? I got back to when I could see the bridge and couldn't see anyone riding on the side of the road all the way to the top. I started getting really worried but noticed no car stopped us saying there was a problem in back. Nothing was out of the ordinary they just disappeared.
Even trying to calm myself I could feel my heart race as I pushed harder to get to the bridge. I almost didn't even see them on the side of the road.
Gabby had just as hard of a time getting to the top but seeing us also tried to leverage the bridge a bit to save some energy. She saw the same splice as I did and hit it – hard – and blew a tire right out. She pulled her brakes and Ricky stopped behind her. They walked down to the bottom and stopped under a tree. A very scary situation but overall ok.
I immediately saw they were ok and managed to calm down. A few sarcastic comments were exchanged but inside it was a sigh of relief. A routine flat something easy to fix. We pulled out the tube and put in the spare. Inflated using the Co2 and BANG we overinflated and blew the spare. We used another tube earlier and didn't have another one. There was a motion for a rescue but it quickly ended when we realized we had some super glue and could try to patch it. The only negative was there was no taco bell near us (there wasn't really anything). So sunk again I got hungry and ate a Cliff Bar and sat down. The bad side was that there was cactus everywhere and that didn't feel good but I also looked at the cliff bar and with it's packaging it looked like it would be even better than a taco bell bag. Turns out it was. It worked perfectly and didn't loose any air over the next 10 miles and even stayed overnight.
But we weren't home free yet. After riding almost to the end again Ricky called up, “FLAT”. He blew another tire. Not as big of a deal this time. We saved the rest of the super glue and stopped in a motel under an overhang and fixed it. Without even realizing it this time I cut a piece out that perfectly said, “The Bar that Works”, a portion of the Cliff Bar slogan. We laughed and took a picture of it to send to Cliff Bar. It truly is the Bar that works and saved us that day on the trip.
Pulling into the Girardo's was like a breath of fresh air. They lived in a nice neighborhood and the first words out of their mouth was pool. The kids jumped on their bike and we all rode, with them in the lead, to the community pool. It was a salt pool and felt amazing after that day. Back at the house we had a feast and I was awarded my flip phone. My regular phone broke with water damage (as did my computer at this point, lesson learned no electronics you care about) but I got a flip phone which was nice but I remembered how horrible T9 was. When we finally laid down to go to sleep it was the end of a long, long day.
RICKY, DAY 23: FROM RIDGELAND TO RICHMOND HILL, SC
I had a realization: We were in territory that was rural and out of the way and we were going to keep traveling through areas like this until we reached Jacksonville, Florida. Not much happened in places like these. It was a mild day with no crises nor celebrations as we just kept going through the motions, slowly working towards our goal. We were getting really close and the realization that we were almost done was creeping up on us, but still at this point I couldn't think of a future that didn't involve biking. We were consumed by the trip.
I remember this day as a lot of back roads, including some made entirely of sand, and two lane highways. At one point we biked several miles through a gigantic nature preserve, the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge. It came out of nowhere and provided a few delightful moments of biking among tall trees and grasses and some no so delightful smells. Also it was the only day we saw an alligator, but to my relief and what I expected to be Sameen's disappointment, it was dead. Sameen was still enthralled; I think he took some photos with it.
The rest stop for the day was a KOA outside of Savannah. When we arrived we were greeted by Brendan's parents who decided to travel down to Georgia and meet us on our journey (as a side note they are more amazing than I can adequately describe with my keyboard). In the camp, we watched the lake's swans and what we thought were baby alligators (I think they ended up being turtles) and relaxed in the pool.
While the sights on the ride were limited, the highlight of getting to Georgia was being able to travel to Savannah. We actually had biked about 20 miles south of Savannah and our route took us pretty far west outside of the city so we had seen its outskirts during the day, but we never got a chance to properly see the city center. We all loaded up into the SWAGon (as we loved to do) and went to the city to get dinner with Brendan's parents and just explore.
It was just another long hot day in the South with nothing in particular to do, but it was still a lot of fun.
I don't know if I'll ever go back to Savannah, but I'll always have the fond memories of us strolling along the waterfront, through the square parks with giant oaks decorated with Spanish moss and past all of the interesting stores as we wandered around through the heat.
GABRIELLE, DAY 22: FROM CHARLESTON TO RIDGELAND, SC
Having two days off in Charleston was absolutely wonderful. We got to spend a night out on the town where we actually made over $300 in donations by sharing our story at the bars we visited.
In the words of Brendan:
We are staying in the Faculty House at the College of Charleston, a three story museum-esque home, so old that the local tours always make a stop outside the door to explain its significance. Once again, I am in awe at the selflessness of others.
At night we let some steam off and went out in the city of Charleston. After a brief dinner we grabbed some drinks at a bar named Proof. Upon speaking to the bartender about our 1,500 mile trek, the owner came over to us with a donation. He proceeded to tell us to make an announcement to the entire bar. He stopped the music and Gabby ensued. Not long after did a bucket go around and $200 were collected. The entire bar was buzzing about dreams. The owner bought us another round. At this point we pushed onward to the next bar. Live band, good people. About 20 minutes passed, when I got a tap on my shoulder. It was the owner from the previous bar. He told me he knows the owner and will have the band stop in between songs so that we could make another announcement into the microphone. The song stopped, Gabby ensued. With no bucket this time, people were handing cold cash right into our hands wishing us luck exclaiming, "Sorry this is all I got, but good luck"
The next day, I got to take a yoga class and we all explored the city, taking in it's unique mix of history and culture. On the second morning we were in Charleston, Ricky, Ramon, and I joined the Charleston Cycling Club for a thirty mile loop around the coast. It was a very flat, very fast ride but we got to meet some interesting people who donated to our cause. Later that day we visited the Ronald McDonald House of Charleston where we helped to clean the facilities and sort donated goods.
On Sunday, August 18, we were ready to roll out of Charleston. Feeling (slightly) refreshed and (marginally) well-rested we started our journey to Ridgeland.*
*I need to preface this story by saying that Jeff Bradley is one of the kindest people we had the pleasure of meeting along our journey to Florida.
About twenty miles out from Ridgeland, we stop alongside of the road for a break. I went to a farm stand to get my first of many fresh, Georgia peaches while the guys popped into McDonald's for, what else? Dipped Cones. While we were eating we got a call from SWAGon that they had arrived at Jeff Bradley's house. They actually drove past it a few times but didn't believe it was actually the place we were staying because it was so decapitated. There was a man in the back with a chainsaw who was giving them a funny look and they didn't feel entirely too comfortable staying there for the night. Sameen was ready to skip Ridgeland and bike straight to Richmond Hill which was about another 70 miles from where we had stopped. People freaked and backup plans were made until Ramon finally said he would go check things out.
Like I said, Jeff Bradley was absolutely wonderful to us. That dilapidated house was actually part of a hobby farm him and his wife had recently purchased with the plan to renovate into a wedding venue. The inside of the house was beautiful and we all had beds to sleep in for the night.
"Are you hungry?", Jeff asked to five ravished cyclists (six if you count Phil's extra stomach).
"Dinner will be ready in four hours", he replied to our drooling nods.
While Jeff smoked a selection of poultry and ribs, we all got to take turns driving his tractor.
Did I almost run him over? Yes.
Did I almost crash into the shed? Yes.
We enjoyed a delicious meal crowded around Jeff's kitchen table sharing stories about our trip. and hearing about Jeff's family. As the sun went down and the fireflies came out we relaxed in the living room, preparing to take on yet another day of riding.
Letters to Sofia: Greetings from South Carolina!
Hi Gabby I have some exciting news! I am going to a hotel tomorrow; its called The Breakers. Its a very pretty hotel. I have been going there for a couple of years now. It is located in Spring Lake NJ. It is right next to a beach. I am so excited to go. I'll be away for 4 days, I may not be able to answer any of your emails. So, how is your ride going? I slept over at my cousins apartment last night. It was fun, I hope your ride is to! don't worry about the weather, because I heard it suppose to be sunny for a couple of days (at least back home in New Jersey). There also is a pool at the breakers and i'm dying to go in it. I'll bring my ipad and if they have internet connections I'll try to email you from the hotel. love Sofia Hi Gabby Congratulations on getting to SC. you guys must really be tired by now. Hope you guys finish the ride on time. I had an awesome time at Spring Lake. It was really warm and it never rained. I when to the beach and flew a kite and when to a pool that I was dying to go in. I had a gigantic whirlpool in the room we were staying in. you would have liked it. We went out for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and it was all delicious! My favorite restaurant was call the Mill. Not the best service, but still a pretty good place. On the last day we went to an amusement park called Point Pleasant; it was AMAZING!
I hope you do well on your bike ride once you get started again. I wish you a great ride and sunny weather.
love
Sofia
PS: did you know that its my cousin's birthday on this Friday? we are going to a movie together.
Sofia!
We're in Charleston, South Carolina! We rode 83 miles in the cold rain yesterday which was a drastic change from the dry heat we've been experiencing. We get to spend two days in Charleston exploring the city. Today I went to a yoga class and walked around the downtown area. We're staying on the College of Charleston campus so it's almost like being home at Rutgers since we're surrounded by college students. Below is a picture of us at the foot of the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge that spans 2.7 miles over Cooper River.
I hope you're having fun on vacation! I have another mosquito bite trick for you- put ice on them. The cold will reduce the swelling and it will numb your skin, making it less itchy. Was it Nick or Alex that got hurt? I hope he's okay! I'll take more pictures of Charleston for you to see. Tomorrow I'm going to the farmer's market and to check out the Battery which is an old part of town known for its stately pre-Civil Was mansions.
Love, Gabrielle
PHIL, DAY 19: FROM RODANTHE TO CHARLESTON, SC
If there was one day that defined this trip it would be the ride into Charleston. That day we faced all types of weather. There were times it was almost warm and sunny and the next minute it would be a downpour and windy and we would be shivering on the side of the road or doing pushups at a gas station to get warm. It was a surprising reality that none of us were ready for. When biking through the South in the middle of August no one had raised the concern of what happens when we get too cold. But temperatures around 65 mixed with heavy rain and strong winds cooled us down a lot. As someone who struggles in cold temperatures I did all I could to keep moving and working hard to keep my internal body temperature up. Often I found myself beside Brendan during this time. In the worst of it we would just keep our head down and ride next to each other, keeping a pace of about 20 mph. It was miserable and the worst of it was there was one point in time where we went down a road that didn't pan out as being the right way and we had to turn around and backtrack for a bit. If it could go wrong it did go wrong.
But without speaking for Brendan this was probably one of my favorite days on the trip. The ride to Charleston, before 2 rest days, threw everything at us as a last ditch effort to end our trip but we didn't stop. Brendan and I kept each other company and as a team we moved forward. When we finally reached Charleston we accomplished something. And no, this wasn't the last day but I believe it was days like this that helped push us through the rest of the trip because if we could make it to Charleston we could make it to Florida.
Pulling into Charleston was like going to a different world. Back in the familiar setting of a college town, but definitely displaced to the south you could feel the history. Quickly referred to Yankees and jokingly offered up to dogs for dinner was becoming more commonplace. We definitely were not in New Jersey anymore. After bringing everything into the house for the night (we were staying in the equivalent of graduate or Professor housing) we got to explore the area. There were three reasons I liked Charleston. First because I got to dry off, warm up and get off my bike after a long day and week of riding. Second because it was a college town with a very homey city feel to it. There were not skyscrapers but the streets were always filled and shops every which way. Finally it was Sorority Rush week at the College of Charleston. Greek life up North does not hold a candle to the South. From the singing, houses, chants, sun dresses and the campus I felt like I was in a movie. All I needed was some Lindwoods pulled pork and it would have been the perfect cap to a amazingly difficult day.
GABRIELLE, DAY 18: FROM NORTH MYRTLE BEACH TO GEORGETOWN, SC
On August 14, we met Eli.
He was biking in the supermarket lot we parked in the night before at North Myrtle Beach after a rough day of riding. After reading the support comments on the SWAGon and hearing about our mission, he reached into his backpack to donate a couple dollars to the Embrace Kids Foundation. He said he didn't have much, but really admired our cause. The next day, he returned to the SWAGon and gave us a case of water bottles for the trip because he wanted us to stay hydrated.
It was the surprising (and inspiring!) kindness of strangers such as Eli that truly pushed us down the East Coast. Eli could have spent those few dollars on a candy bar or a can of soda but instead he reached out to us- a couple of crazy college kids with a big hearts and big ambitions.
Eli's story is so special because it exemplifies just how much we relied on the generosity of the people we met along the way.
The funds that are raised for Embrace Kids don’t go towards medical research or chemotherapy treatments. They are strictly used for the non-medical needs of pediatric cancer patients and those with blood disorders. The very amenities that our hosts on the road offered — home-cooked meals, laundry service, showers, and a warm place to sleep — are the very things that Embrace Kids offers its families. We would still be in New Jersey if it wasn’t for their kindness, good food, and roofs to sleep under. Their love and support revived our tired spirits to keep going the next day.
After a little of 30 miles of riding, we were greeted in Georgetown by my aunt who had knocked on every church and community center in the area trying to secure us a place to sleep that night. We were all wet from another day of biking in the rain so it was really nice to take a shower in her rented condo and do laundry.
The church was so generous accommodate us for the night while also providing us snacks to nosh on. We all got to spread out in a multipurpose room with wifi and plenty of outlets for everyone to charge their phones- the little things in life. After a full night's rest, we were a little more prepared for what would become the infamous Ride To Charleston
.