BIKE Carolina

 

Five members of the Communities In Schools of Cape Fear staff have completed a 300-mile bicycle tour of the North Carolina coast. A relaxing vacation? Not hardly. This five-day trip, dubbed "BIKE Carolina," trekked from Wilmington to Virginia, at a pace of 60 to 70 miles a day, in the heat of the summer – Aug. 9-13.

Staff members Lisa Brewster, Aaron Williams, Brian Blake, Kris Jones and Halley Thompson braved big trucks, bigger bridges, flat tires, bloody knees and potholes to make the trip a success. An ill-fated meeting with a clam shell even played into the mix. (You can read more ab

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out that on their blog at the website listed at the end of the story.) The staff returned sunburned, bruised, skinnier and all the more determined to make the trip again next year.

Why would CISCF staff be doing such a thing?

In a 2008 study by the Institute for Higher Education Policy titled "Promise Lost: College-Qualified Students Who Don't Enroll in College," researchers indicate that students who make it through high school but don't go on to college often make that decision because of "insufficient financial aid, mixed messages about academic preparation, poor understanding of admission and financial aid application processes, and limited community encouragement."

CISCF has for years been dedicated to serving the needs of underresourced students in the Cape Fear community, offering programs that, among other things, assist in academics, provide activities that enlighten students about college admissions and financial aid, and provide vital relationships and resources.

Thanks to these athletic employees, CISCF can now offer another crucial support to local students – funding that allows them to worry less about paying for college and spend more time preparing to be successful adults.


Staff members Lisa Brewster, Aaron Williams, Brian Blake, Kris Jones and Halley Thompson braved big trucks, bigger bridges, flat tires, bloody knees and potholes to make the trip a success. An ill-fated meeting with a clam shell even played into the mix. (You can read more about that on their blog at the website listed at the end of the story.) The staff returned sunburned, bruised, skinnier and all the more determined to make the trip again next year.

Why would CISCF staff be doing such a thing?

In a 2008 study by the Institute for Higher Education Policy titled "Promise Lost: College-Qualified Students Who Don't Enroll in College," researchers indicate that students who make it through high school but don't go on to college often make that decision because of "insufficient financial aid, mixed messages about academic preparation, poor understanding of admission and financial aid application processes, and limited community encouragement."

CISCF has for years been dedicated to serving the needs of underresourced students in the Cape Fear community, offering programs that, among other things, assist in academics, provide activities that enlighten students about college admissions and financial aid, and provide vital relationships and resources.

Thanks to these athletic employees, CISCF can now offer another crucial support to local students – funding that allows them to worry less about paying for college and spend more time preparing to be successful adults.

BIKE (Buying Into Kids' Education) Carolina was the brain child of CISCF Ameri­Corps VISTA, Aaron Williams. While working with CISCF's college club, Williams met with many students who felt that college was out of reach for no other reason than finances. Determined to allow CISCF students opportunities that they dreamed of, Williams sought a way to draw the community in and raise awareness and funds, and BIKE Carolina was born. So far, the project has raised more than $5,000 for student scholarships. Among major contributors are Port City Community Church and the Sunshine Lady Foundation.

Spreading the word was no easy task. Group members spent countless hours making cold calls to businesses, media contacts and private donors. And that wasn't the end of it. They had to keep up their end of the bargain – the formidable bike ride and corresponding nights tent camping with mosquitoes, frogs and thunderstorms. Not to say that they didn't enjoy it.

And though a 7 a.m. cycle through the Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge is nothing short of breathtaking, at the end of the day the true beauty was knowing that they'd been able to lay the grounds for providing a fair shake at college for CISCF students who so completely deserve it.

With any luck, CISCF hopes to continue to raise scholarship funds for 2011's seniors and make BIKE Carolina an annual event. To see photos and read blogs from this year's trip, or to donate, visit BIKE Carolina's website at http://bikecarolina.ning.com or check out the BIKE Carolina event listed at CISCF's Facebook page.

Submitted by Halley Thompson, Burgaw Middle School graduation coach with Communities In Schools of Cape Fear.

 

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