A few months ago, mesmerized by the idea of traveling the Vietnamese countryside free of tourists and souvenir hawkers, I signed up to do the 2,000-kilometre H2H bike ride from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, the place I have called home for the past year. In addition to committing myself to 28 days of Spandex, discomfort, potholes, and transport trucks racing past me in a blur of dust and exhaust fumes, I have promised to do a handful of other things for the sake of H2H, the most important of which is raising as much money as possible to benefit less-fortunate children in Vietnam.
For the past year I have had the privilege of teaching students of all ages, and it is evident to me that children here are much like children anywhere: they are bright, they are funny, they are odd and sometimes inspiring; they make you laugh and often make you crazy. But while I have met some remarkable kids in HCMC, the unfortunate reality is that for every student I've taught, there is another child in Vietnam who has not yet been given the opportunity to succeed.
Enter H2H, a chance to say thank you to the country that has introduced me to banh xeo, rained on every good outfit I own, and occasionally made me fear for my life while on the back of a motorbike. By making donations to the H2H ride, not only will you be supporting three reputable, well-established charities – The Children's Initiative (TCI), Saigon Children's Charity (SCC), and ILACN, the charitable arm of ILA school – you will also be making my day, not to mention the day of the many children your donations will benefit, so please give what you can and help H2H make a difference.
FUN FACT: Absolutely 100% of your donation will go to one of the three charities listed above. The cost of the ride itself is paid for by the riders, so that all of your money goes exactly where it's supposed to.
Still not sold? Visit http://www.h2hcharityride.org/ to learn more.
Thank you in advance for your help. If we meet sometime in the next seven years, I promise to buy you a coffee, maybe even give you a hug.