Still Considering Donating?

Now is not too late! Although no more checks will be mailed to Good Hope in South Africa. With the few most recent checks, we have encountered long delays in cashing them at Good Hope's bank in Johannesburg.

All donations, after today, must be made in cash. If necessary, checks may be made to myself: T. Carson Wright. If you write me a personal check, I will provide proof (receipt of wire transfer) that the money was donated to Good Hope via electronic transfer.

It is Finished!

It has been nearly one week since the successful completion of the Alabama for Good Hope ride. Seven days on a bicycle and near 550 miles later, I have been near exhausted this week and apologize for a belated blog update. Here is a quick description of what happened:

My usual day started around 6 am with sore legs in a smelly sleeping bag in a smelly tent. Having gone to bed around 9 pm, you think you would be well rested but 80-100 miles of cycling the day prior will do that to you.

(click on Pictures to expand)

The stretch from Huntsville to Double Springs, AL was a long haul in beautiful weather. Combating the no-shoulder bridge over the Tennessee River and the heat-absorbent jet black asphalt from Decatur to Moulton, I eased into Bankhead National Forest. What a dream it was passing through the Sipsey, cooled by the shade offered by poplars and oaks. It seemed to be the only place not bombarded with traffic or anxious pine logging trucks. I actually was honked at "the good way," toots of support often accompanied by a thumbs up or a fist pump out the window. I ended up pushing for Camp McDowell and slept and enjoyed a mighty steak dinner in Tiller's Field.


What would seem like a breeze compared to the near 100 mile day before, the road from Jasper to Tuscaloosa bared many surprises, bad ones that is. Hills, hills and more hills. Highway 69 reached atop every high point and stooped to every crest. Turning the bend countless times to an intense climbs, I felt like crying at least 7 times. Also, gas stations (places where I would fill up water) are sparse and I became slightly dehydrated as I entered Tuscaloosa. The locals were also the least friendly this stretch; bicycles mean no more than a child's toy and are not reserved a spot on the road. I was well rewarded as I entered Tuscaloosa - a milkshake and a friendly greeting by Mr. Chris Cook, whose house I spent the night at.


The next day was one of rest. I pedaled northwest around 10 miles to Lake Lurleen State Park. It was beautiful and I was joined by the wonderful Allison Kendrick for dinner.

The next day brought me into Hale County through Eutaw, AL. I had a delightful Calorie dense lunch at Church's Chicken. The winds increased as I entered Demopolis and the rain was soon to begin. I was lucky enough to eat breakfast while it was dry the next morning but as soon as I left, it rained for the next day and a half.

Biking in the rain might sound more fun than it actually is. Well, rain is something I would like to avoid on future trips. It does not provide for the best morale, especially on a solo excursion.

I was lucky enough to run into some cyclists at the next campsite near Coffeeville. Two were pastors heading north to Canada on a 7 week cycling trek to Canada, tracing the historic Underground Railroad, a slave's potential path to freedom out the the antebellum South. They were accompanied by a guy named Guy, their car "taxi" for the first half of the trip - carrying their gear and setting up camp daily. I am grateful to have met them, for they offered me Tuna stew for dinner and pancakes and sausage for breakfast. Thank you!


I expected it to continue to rain and with nearly all my gear soaked except for my sleeping bag and the development of a sore throat, I decided to play it safe and check into a motel in Mobile. This would mean changing the route, not making it to Wilmer, AL, but going some 15-20 extra miles to the big city. A long 100 miles in the rain brought me to downtown Mobile. City traffic and driving attitudes are stressful and so is finding a decent place to stay. I lucked out and walked into to a place called the Malaga Inn, a historic small inn constructed around the 1860s. If I was not greeted with such enthusiasm by the owner, I would have chosen another place maybe a little less classy. A kind woman told me to bring my bike right on in to the courtyard and make myself at home.

The next morning I watched the sun rise on a cloudy and rain-absent sky over mobile as I aimed south for Dauphin Island. This day was one where the success and progress made on the trek made itself very apparent. Every time I got to a bridge, I thought, "This could be it!" How I was fooled- there must have been 7 bridges that day and I was anxious to find the end of the bay and the beginning of the ocean.


Wind increasing and bridges getting larger, I saw the end of land and laughed. As I stepped onto the Dauphin Island/Fort Morgan ferry and paid $5 for my passage (rather than $16 for vehicles) I laughed and laughed. "How did I get here?" I kept asking myself.

SUCCESS!

I was ecstatic to catch up with great friends at the beach house owned by the Kendrick family. Nothing could stop me from frolicking in the open ocean and flying kites with awesome people: Austin, Chris, Worth, Lindsay, Roger, and Sarah.

Albert, the kite.

The Journey Begun

I write from my home after the first successful day on the road, from Sewanee, TN to Huntsville, AL (~60miles).

Yesterday afternoon, my father dropped me off at Sewanee, my academic stomping ground. I was joyed to see the light barely pouring through the tree tops, the heavy late spring rains brought about serious leaf density. Everywhere I looked was some shade of green. I spent the night in a rented shack-of-sorts known as the "Flea Market" on Morgans Steep with friends Elspeth Iralu and Laura Candler. A one room cabin with a bathroom, it was a cozy nights sleep and a great way to begin.

This day I was blessed with cloud cover, 60 degree weather, and no rain. I found out that pedaling a bike with 25-35 lbs of gear and food is harder than you think. I ate massive amounts of granola, bananas, walnuts, and left over steak from the night before. I was chased by 4 dogs, honked at zero times, and was very surprised to see armadillo roadkill. Who knew cars were fast enough to take out speedy armadillos? Who knew Tennessee even had armadillos?

Every time a dog chases me, my first thought is, "okay, I will strategically lure him out into the peril of oncoming traffic - that way, fate will catch up with him, he will learn his lesson, and the world will be rid of one more angry rottweiler." Then, I regret these thoughts and suppose that I too would chase and pose harm to cyclists if I was a canine with no ability to understand humans and their silly two-wheeled adventures.

Also concerning roadkill, why is it that I see more turtle roadkill in the spring than any other season of the year. In the past month of training rides, I have seen at least 8 dead alligator snapping turtles, those big reptilian monsters you only see in bad dreams.

I am trying to come to terms with the physical burden I am taking on my body. With daily mileage, temperatures, humidity supposedly rising in the coming days, I anticipate greater and greater challenge.

Peace,

T. Carson Wright

OVER $6,300 Raised!!!!

This is AWESOME, over double the initial goal. Thank you to all the wonderful people supporting Good Hope Home Based Care and the children of the Tembisa township.

Update: New Mailing Address

Any donations, queries, or ponderings may now be sent to:

Alabama for Good Hope
512 Randolph Ave
Huntsville, AL
35801

Any mail sent to the previous address will sure to be forwarded.

Fundraising, An Update 2.0

Incredible, Just Incredible.

Since this projects beginning one month ago, donations now total to an amazing $2229.15! Eighteen more days and $770.85 until the adventure begins. This is truly a blessing and I am getting pumped about finishing with Final Exams, popping in that John Denver, and hitting those country roads.

Here is a picture of my great great uncle Arthur Zimmerman, world bike champion in 1898. He would be so proud...



{click to ENLARGE}

Mailings

Know a friend or family member who would like to hear about Alabama for Good via mail?

I would love to send them a letter explaining the scope of this adventure and more about Good Hope Home Based Care. Email their contact information to wrightc0@sewanee.edu and I will get right on that.

Fundraising, An Update

Alabama for Good Hope is almost 1/3 of the way there - $820.21 has been raised so far, $2199.79 to go!

After some complicated math the other day, I calculated that the current goal, $3,000, comes down to about $0.11 donated for every kilocalorie I burn while riding my bike.

An enormous thanks to everyone for your continuing support!

Photographs

Click HERE to see more photos from GHBC. (Photobucket Album)

How to Support the Cause

1) First things first, I need to raise $3,000 by May 18, 2009.

Please donate.

Any donations can be sent to:

T. Carson Wright
512 Randolph Ave.
Huntsville, AL
35801


CASH IS PREFERRED - please note that no cash will be sent in the mail to GHBC due to security reasons. It will be deposited into the bank and wired directly to the organizations bank account.

CHECKS - NOTE: no more checks can be made out to Good Hope Home Based Care due to long delays in mail and cashing in South Africa. If checks are your only option, you may make them out to me, T. Carson Wright, and I will wire the money electronically.

CREDIT CARD - you are welcomed to donate through PayPal, if you are a member. Please notify me if this is the case.


100% of all funds received will go straight to GOOD HOPE HOME BASED CARE. The bicycle excursion is self-funded.
Tax Deduction - unfortunately, donations are not tax deductible due to GHBC being a South African non-profit.

2) Tell your friends and family about Alabama for Good Hope. Ask Me Questions. Read about the HIV/AIDS crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa. Hug someone today.

The Mission

From May 18 to the 25th, I will ride 520 miles on my bicycle down the western side of Alabama. I will be alone and will need to carry everything I wear, eat, and need in two small bags on a rear bicycle rack. On this heavy load, I will pedal an average of 80 miles per day with plans of reaching a state-park campsite every night.

"Why is he doing this?" you might ask.

I love bicycles and epic adventures. I also have a dream of using this to help fulfill a need in Tembisa, South Africa. This adventure is not just a test of strength nor a fulfillment of a wild idea of mine, it is method of engaging this world for positive change: a call to go beyond ourselves and the normalcy of personal ambition and gain. To lift each other up!

That's right, I implied it. WORLD PEACE. This bicycle trek is a fundraiser for Good Hope Home Based Care, but it is, by extension, a fundraiser for World Peace.

About: Good Hope Home Based Care

Good Hope Home Based Care (GHBC) is a non-profit organization located in the Tembisa Township [to view map, click HERE] - Johannesburg, South Africa. Founded as a care station and clinic to the diseased and disables of the surrounding neighborhood, GHBC has taken the role of shelter for abandoned infants and children, many of them HIV positive. Currently, GHBC is responsible for close to 400 orphans living with families in the neighborhood by advocating for their education and providing food and monetary support to the foster families, themselves often living in the dredges of poverty. Good Hope's approach is holistic in nature - they distribute donated foods, clothing, medical supplies, text books, and toys to their community. Currently, they are constructing a youth center to provide orphaned and vulnerable children with temporary housing, afterschool programs, and a day care. For 12 years, the organization has trained care-givers to confront the diseased and dying. Tembisa bears the burden of the HIV/AIDs crisis. 31% of people in the Gauteng Province are now living with the life crippling Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Evident that HIV targets the poor and those of African heritage living in South Africa (22 times as many Africans have HIV than white South African citizens), much of GHBC's efforts are spent addressing the horrors that the disease: feeding the dying and the unemployed (simply because of contracting HIV), taking in abandoned children (HIV positive infants are frequently abandoned), providing clinical care to a part of the world where overcrowded and unaffordable hospitals are the norm.

My encounter with Good Hope came about in the summer of 2007 on a trip with the North Alabama Presbytery. Visiting Tembisa only for an afternoon, I met Flora Mogano, the eccentric and strong-willed founder/director of GHBC. Flora's home was also the clinic and care center. In her spare bedroom, she housed 12 orphans. Her garage had become the walk in clinic and office. One of the first things she did was point to a pile of a hundred or so loaves of bread in the corner. "See that?" she said stearnly, "I woke before dawn to beg the store for that bread to feed those who need it." I then proceeded to take the most intense "walk around the block" in my life. I met Freddy who had a catheter stuck in his pocket and though he was most likely terminally ill, he couldn't stop expressing his joy for life and our visit. I held newborn whose mother was in the hospital with meningitis. I sat near Maria, in the last stages of life with AIDS, an intense whooping cough due to Tuberculosis, and a body covered in bumps and scars from a wildly spreading skin cancer. I prayed over a handful inhabitants of a three room house that held 31.

My continuing correspondence with Flora indicates that the fight for justice, alleviation of suffering and poverty is far from over. Car theft, power outages, increasing food costs, hospital and public school staff strikes are only a few of the many challenges GHBC confronts in trying to stay functioning and coherent. In a recent letter, Flora broke from her train of thought only to declare, "Life is full of agonies." I can only hope that her spirit of service remains strong as times are tough.

Currently, Good Hope does not maintain a website.

Good Hope Home Based Care in the News:

The Star (South Africa) - http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=129&fArticleId=382137

Los Angeles Times - http://articles.latimes.com/2004/may/26/world/fg-aids26
(since this article, some, but relatively few, inhabitants of the township have had access to anti-retroviral drugs - GHBC continues to rely on the most minimal of medical supplies)

Contact Information:

Postal Address: Good Hope Home Based Care/PO BOX 12114/ Chloorkop, 1624/South Africa
Telephone: (011) 925-0312, (072) 620-2429
Dept Of Welfare Registration #: 013-776/46654NPO
Coordinator: Flora Mogano

The Route

Click HERE to view the cycling route (Google Maps). 1 State, 2 Wheels, 7 Nights, 521 mi!