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| These 2 couples are planning a bike trip from Seattle to the Jersey Shore. |
A South Annville Township couple will bike across the country next month to raise money for an international Christian relief organization.
Christie and Nate McKelvie, both 25, will ride 3,200 miles from the West Coast near Seattle, Wash., to the New Jersey coast and hope to raise $25,000 for World Vision.
“We always thought it would be a neat thing to do,” said Nate, a Lebanon County Conservation District employee. “We wanted to do it now before we have kids.”
The McKelvies, who reside at 619 Horseshoe Pike, will be joined by Jamie Ingram of Muncy and Erin Shuey of the Lehigh area. The foursome met a few years ago in Christian Student Fellowship at Penn State.
The ride will kick off June 19, about a week after Ingram and Shuey get married and honeymoon in Washington.
Nate said he believes they can complete the trip in seven weeks.
The friends plan to ride about 80 miles or roughly 8 hours a day for six days and take one day off per week. At the end of a long day, a campground will be waiting for them.
“I think we’re up for it,” said Christie, a fourth-grade teacher at Fredericksburg Elementary School.
To prepare for the trip, the McKelvies have been riding up to 40 miles every other day, Nate said.
Each touring bike will carry four saddle bags, filled with food, clothing, toiletries, rain gear, bike equipment, such as chains, cables and a pump, Nate said. Each couple will also share carrying a compact tent and sleeping bag. A stove will be passed between the four riders.
“Every few days we’ll wash our stuff,” Nate said. “I’m not going to say we’re going to smell good, but maybe people will realize we’re in it for the long haul.”
Christie acknowledges biking on roads can be a bit intimidating at times.
“You’re supposed to share the road,” she said, referring to motorists that do not respect bicyclists. “That is probably the scariest part.”
While the ride is an adventure the McKelvies have always hoped to fulfill, they are also dedicated to raising $25,000.
So far, they have raised $2,168. All money is collected online by visiting the team’s Web site at http://www.firstgiving.com/thebigride.
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