I can't begin to express my gratitude and love for the family and friends that were able to make a donation to my Bike & Build trip this year. When I did Bike & Build back in 2014 on the Southern route, I signed up because I wanted adventure and a cool story when I came home. This year, I joined because Bike & Build taught me about what I want out of life and how I want to live. It showed me a deeper meaning to everyday actions and gave me insight into who I am and what I want out of my life. I had the opportunity to see how I was able to impact a family and play a part in a new chapter of their life. When Bike & Build would show up to a build day, we would get three times as much done as a normal build day for the organization and give the project new life and a fresh breath. By doing this, we would sometimes catch the house back up to schedule or sometimes even push the progress ahead of schedule. This allowed the organization a moment to take a breathe and know they would be able to get their projects done. When we were in Beaches Habitat for Humanity, we were able to get so much done during one day on the site that we ensured the organization would meet their deadline and get the grant they had been fighting for. If we had not had the opportunity to work with them that day, we were told they wouldn't have made that deadline and would have lost $300,000. On top of gaining an appreciation and love for community service and fighting the affordable housing crisis, I also learned about myself and who I am. I learned how to take a step back and appreciate who I am, where I came from, and what I have. Doing Bike & Build provided me with a model on how to live: every day is a gift and must be taken advantage of, because today will never happen again. It forced me to live in the moment and take in the grandeur that was found in conversations, friendships, self-reflection, and perspective. It showed me that every moment of my life is worth living and I shouldn't have to feel like I am "getting through" things, but rather I am living through things and experiencing and enjoying them. Fighting and pushing through the physical and mental hardships of biking across the country taught me who I am and how I deal with stress, but also taught me how to channel that stress into growth and reflection. It made me reflect on my self-worth and importance, and made me realize that I should strive for my dreams and never settle for satisfaction. I want to live my life the way I lived my Bike & Build trip: with wonder, passion, love, frustration, grit, tears, joy, and excitement. I want to wake up everyday knowing this day will never come again and prepared to take full advantage of it. Most importantly, I want to teach others this way of thinking and show them my love and passion for Bike & Build. By being a leader this year, I get the opportunity to show this to my riders, and hopefully shape the way they think and life. Without the love and support of my family and friends, this would not be possible. Thank you for not only contributing to a family in need of a home, but also to giving myself and my trip the experience and lesson of a life time. No day should be taken for grated. No family should have to live without a safe and stable home. I could not do this without you. The affordable housing crisis is improving because of your efforts.
Always my mom and dad for EVERYTHING
LendingTree for helping fund all the gear I needed!
The Right Gear in Concord, NC
Molly Bruce
Colleen Daly
Anita and John Ott
Eleanor Perry
Mark Etheridge
Poppy LaForce
Madeline Enos
Daniel Snyder
Maura Moloney
Ashley Bush
Gaurang Garg
Jennifer Allen
Caitlyn Colo
Joshua Hester
JoBeth Minniear
Melissa Pontikes
Daniel Kaminsky
Michael and Nancy Colo
Liz and Kevin Hackett
Martha Mertz
Romelle and Dick Durand
Jordan Nassri
Elle Martin
Robert Simons
Susan Garofalo-Cardinali
Jeff and Kristen Durand
Laura Hall
Rhys Howell
Paul McDonald
Todd Gilmore
Michael and Janet Northway
Dean Fiore
Laci Sims
Lynn and David Bennett
Christopher Barkan
Mary Ledcke
Molly McLaughlin
Richard Ottinger
James McDonald
Matthew Brown
Keith Thornton
Brent Chapman
Leah Horstemeyer
Jerry Austen
Joel Bolton
Andrea Jones
Wendy Angelo
Sean Flannery
Stephen and Peggy Spivey
Helen and Gregg Grafakos
Connie Love
Tracie Buckley
The Colvens
You are the driving force behind my trip this year and I am proud to claim you as my Bike & Build family. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your love and support. You are the reason behind every mile we ride and every nail we hammer.
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