Cyclists take on 30-day fundraising challenge

Dedicated cyclist and fundraiser Steven Prime is preparing to bike across the US for coffee-farming families in Latin America.

On July 25, he and his friend Dayle Walker will bike 3,000 miles in just 30 days.

Beginning their journey in Surf City, North Carolina, they will cross 11 states to arrive in Santa Monica, California, on August 23.

The cyclists will donate all funds raised to Coffee Kids, a development organization dedicated to working with coffee-farming families to improve their lives and livelihoods through projects in food security, health care, education, capacity building and economic diversification. As a franchise owner of Esquires Coffee Houses, Steven has been a long-time supporter of Coffee Kids.

Commenting on the journey, Steven said:

“I’m so excited about the trip. Once you’ve been bitten by the charity bug you can’t help but look forward to new fundraising opportunities and I’m so glad to be taking on this new challenge with one of my oldest and closest friends.

“Not only will Cycle America push me personally, but it will also help to raise awareness and funds for a cause I really believe in. Coffee is obviously a big part of my life and helping to create a sustainable future for coffee-growing families and communities is very important to me.”

Elisa Kelly, development liaison at Coffee Kids, added:

“We are so impressed and touched that Steven and Dayle have chosen to embark upon this epic journey in order to raise funds for Coffee Kids.

“Biking across the entire United States – and in the mid-summer months of July and August, no less – is no small feat. By volunteering to challenge themselves in this way, they will be challenging not only their minds and bodies but also challenging those who cheer them on to think about the hardships that coffee farmers endure as they struggle to achieve well-being for their families and communities.

“It’s also fantastic to see that our long-running relationship with Esquires Coffee Houses, one of our largest UK supporters, can feed into more personal expressions of solidarity with coffee-farming families such as this. Coffee Kids supporters like Esquires, Steven, and Dayle are crucial to making sure we can ensure a future for coffee and for those who produce it, too.”

Further information is available on the website www.cycleamerica2011.com.
You can participate in Steven Prime’s fundraiser at www.crowdrise.com/cycleamerica2011