BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – It is tradition for many graduating college seniors to go on vacations with friends before entering the “real world.” Adam Bohr, Illinois Wesleyan University senior and 2003 graduate of Aurora Central Catholic High School, found a way to combine both a fun activity and a way to give back to the community while taking advantage of one last summer vacation. The accounting major will bike approximately 3,700 miles cross-country as part of the Bike & Build program before starting work in real estate tax at Ernst and Young in September.
Bike & Build aims to raise funds for affordable housing projects while introducing young adults to the cause and engaging them in a unique and interesting way. The group has contributed more than $750,000 to housing groups to fund projects planned and executed by young adults. In the process, its participants have collectively biked thousands of miles and educated countless communities across the country about the affordable housing crisis in America. Bike & Build’s grant program also supports projects involving young people all throughout the nation, including many Habitat for Humanity endeavors.
The nine-week bike trip will begin on May 17 in Virginia Beach and end on July 25 in Cannon Beach, Ore. Along with nearly 30 other bikers and three group leaders, most in their 20s, Bohr will bike through Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho before ending his trip in Oregon. The group will bike during the day, starting out with easier rides and working up to 100-mile days through flat terrain, stopping at nine different sites to help with building efforts. Local churches and community centers will provide the group with dinner and a place to sleep throughout their journey.
“I’ve always wanted to do a program like this, but have held myself back,” Bohr said, expressing excitement about his upcoming trip. “There’s something so great about being outside, going on an adventure, and being able to help others in the process.”