Hello Friends and Family:

In April 2015, I'm going to be cycling from Hanoi (Vietnam's Capital) to Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon, where I live and work) as part of a team of 20 riders over a span of 27 days. It's over 2000km and we're going to be doing about an average of 80km per day, with two rest days. It's called the H2H Charity Ride 2015, and it'll be the sixth ride of its kind. I've personally never done anything this physically demanding before, and I've been going cycling a few times a week since late November. 

Please consider making a donation to our campaign! It's easy, you just need a credit card (email me at isaacluchini@gmail.com if you don't have one, or would prefer to donate in a different way)

Here's some info about the charities that we'll be supporting. 

NOTE: All expenses (such as traveling expenses in April, insurance, and the bicycle itself) will be covered by the riders and by sponsors such as DHL www.dhl.com/vn

This means that 100% of your donations will go directly the aforementioned charities. 

1) Saigon Children's Charity (www.saigonchildren.com) aims to help disadvantaged children in Vietnam to reach their full potential through receiving a quality education relevant to their needs. The SCC is distinguished for giving scholarships, building schools, running a vocational school in Saigon and working with other, smaller organizations that focus on children with disabilities. They enable over 3,000 children to go to school everyday in Vietnam! Its area of operation is in the south of Vietnam, around HCMC, the Mekong Delta and extending to the Cambodian border.

2) KOTO (Know One, Teach One www.koto.com.au) helps at-risk children from street backgrounds (including gangs and human trafficking) and gives them a two year apprenticeship program in the restaurant and hospitality industry, including both in the kitchen and front-of-house. They have training facilities as well as restaurants in both HCMC and Hanoi. There is a picture on my page of the H2H team doing a visit to one of their training facilities. H2H pledges to raise enough for two years paid tuition for two street children to complete their training program.

3) The Children's Initiative (www.childrensinitiative.org) is dedicated to improving the lives of children in developing countries through strategic, long-term investments in community-based projects and programs. TCI works in partnership with local communities to help them realize their aspirations for their children. Its area of operation is in the north of Vietnam, based around Catdang village near Hanoi. 

4) Live and Give (www.liveandgive.eu) is a foundation in Belgium which main purpose it is to help disadvantaged minority children in central Vietnam. Its biggest accomplishment is the construction of Thien An boarding school in Pleiku in central Vietnam. Funds will go towards building facilities there for orphans from minority groups in the Central Highlands. Another project is being launched in Thua Thien Hue province and some of our funds will also support the construction of this project.  The government wants to build a kindergarten in that valley where the young minority kids can get taught the Vietnamese language and where they get a free meal.

5) The ILA Community Network (ILACN - www.facebook.com/ILA.Community Network), a group of volunteers within the well-established ESL institution, ILA (where many of the H2H riders work), aims to make a real difference to the lives of disadvantaged children in the local communities in which ILA operates. The ILACN sends its donations to The Green Bamboo Shelter (ex-street boys aged 7 – 18), Go Vap Orphanage (200+ orphaned children, mainly disabled), The Ung Buou Cancer Hospital (Children’s ward, upwards of 150 in-patients), The Little Rose Warm Shelter (vulnerable girls, aged 11 – 18) and the Bung Sang Blind Shelter. ILACN supports the centers through regular fun days and trips out, teaching English, funding essential equipment, improvements and repairs, projects that improve the environments and prospects of disadvantaged children, enabling access to education and vocational training, raise awareness both in Vietnam and overseas.

Here are some more useful links:

Our Team Website, including profiles (click "Who We Are") - www.h2hcharityride.org
Our Team Blog, including stories and photos of training rides and charity visits - http://h2hrfvc.blogspot.com/

From this website:

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