Student group Building Tomorrow aimed to ride 7,354 miles — the distance between the University and Kampala, Uganda — on stationary bikes during its four-day “Bike to Uganda” fundraiser this past week.
Although “Bike to Uganda” is an event held at college campuses across the country, the University’s Building Tomorrow chapter was one of the first to hold this type of fundraiser and raise money for the construction of a Ugandan school.
While Building Tomorrow has raised money for school construction projects in Mayira and Gita, the group used Uganda’s capital for the fundraiser’s symbolic “destination.” During the event, participants paid to bike in 30-minute increments.
Bikers could partake as individuals or enlist friends and compete as a group. The Virginia Triathlon Team and the University cross country team showed their support while members of the Charlottesville community participated to raise money while completing their daily workouts.
“All the people biking come from different backgrounds,” Jessica Guthrie, president of the organization, said. “It was pretty cool to bring together members from different parts of the community.”
The event also featured performances from a number of a cappella groups and a visit from Dean of Students Allen Groves.
“Having entertainment makes it more of an exciting event,” said Guthrie, a fourth-year Batten student. “People will walk by and see the group performing and want to get involved.”
Of all the routine challenges CIOs face in organizing large-scale fundraisers, Guthrie cited physical obstacles as the most difficult to surmount, including bringing the bikes out from behind the amphitheater and the patio of Batten.
“The biggest challenge was actually moving the bikes,” Guthrie said. “They’re super heavy and it takes a lot of logistical planning.”
Building Tomorrow hopes to raise $10,000 dollars by the end of the year and build another school in the next three or four years. Bill Clinton recently reduced the dollar amount required to build a school from $60,000 to $30,000 by matching what chapters of the organization raise.
The CIO donates 100 percent of its earnings directly to construction efforts and supplies.
“We don’t go there and build — we just raise money and awareness,” first-year College student Maddie Smith said. “A lot of people interested in volunteering say it’s better; it stimulates their economy. If we go there and we build it, it’s cutting out the process of the Ugandan people that could be building it.”
For Building Tomorrow at UVA, engaging local Ugandans is an important accomplishment.
“Right now there’s 40 Ugandans employed [at the construction site],” Guthrie said. “Sometimes local elders actually donate the land and the community donates 15,000 hours collectively to actually build the school.”
Building Tomorrow will continue to fundraise throughout the year. It will co-host a November documentary screening with CIO Asha for Education and spearhead the One Brick campaign, where students can donate a dollar to buy 10 bricks in Uganda and have their names hung on a paper brick in Clemons Library.
In the spring, the CIO will co-host “Rock to Uganda,” an event where students can pay to watch a battle of bands.
Read More
New Zealand cuisine finds a home away from home at Burger Bach
By Evalina Caruccio | 9 hours agoTheir moderate price range — between $14 and $19 for a burger — and delicious food made it a great dinner for my friend and I after a long week of exams.
Being more than just my body
By Mai Hukuoka | 9 hours agoAs I have traversed the ups and downs of self-esteem and reflected on the "Freshman 15” phenomenon, I’ve discovered how freeing it is to live beyond the confinements of body image.
Minding the gap year experience
By Lindsay Lian | 18 hours agoMany gap-year students initially have doubts about taking a year off from school, but the experience was worthwhile for these four University students.
