Gainesville cyclists will host a bicycle scavenger hunt Sunday afternoon, and all proceeds will go toward affordable housing.
The 20-mile race will have 13 checkpoints to represent the states cyclists will be crossing this summer as they raise moneyforaffordable housing with Bike & Build.
The event will begin at 2 p.m. at Parisleaf, a local graphic design firm located at 107 SW Seventh St.
Justin Villere, Bike & Build’s director of operations and outreach, said cyclists typically ride 4,000 miles during a two-month period. Along the way, they help build homes with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together.
Villere said the organization donated more than $600,000 and built up to 100 houses last year.
This year’s ride will start in May, with routes that span from Maine to Vancouver, from Jacksonville to San Diego and more.
“The problem is everywhere,” Villere said. “It’s not just in your inner cities.”
Riders wishing to participate must raise $4,500, complete 10 hours of community service, have ridden 500 miles before the trip and have completed safety training provided by Bike & Build.
Ashley Whitehead, a first-year UF veterinary graduate student, is participating in Bike & Build for the first time. She volunteered in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast and also volunteers every weekend she can for the Alachua Habitat for Humanity.
“I’m the kind of person that really likes to just go and do things and be in the moment, and I think Bike & Build is great for that,” the 25-year-old said.
Bridget Anderson, a UF public relations senior, will also ride this summer. She said she saw a lack of affordable housing options for those with disabilities while interning at the National Down Syndrome Society in Washington, D.C.
“I hope that, in a dream world, by participating in Bike & Build, I would create opportunities for those with disabilities to gain independence through being able to afford their own housing,” the 22-year-old said.
Ashley Whitehead, 25, first year pursuing her DVM (doctor of veterinary medicine) at UF's College of Veterinary Medicine, Alex M. Sanchez,22, Graduated 2014 in Photojournalism from UF, Leah Sanchez,23, Graduated from FSU 2013 in Enviro Studies, Hannah Itzler, 23, Graduate Student, Masters in Urban and Regional Planning at UF, and Bridget Anderson, 22, Senior, public relations with a minor in disability at UF.
