Hello!

This summer we - Mark and Simón (read more about us below) - are riding over 700 kilometers in a week with Thighs of Steel through Croatia, Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Greece in solidarity with refugees and displaced people. 

The full amount of your donation will be distributed by MASS Action (https://www.massaction.charity/) to grassroots projects that support refugees in the UK, Greece, and beyond. That means every penny counts so don't forget to Gift Aid if you're eligible. Thank you for being so generous!

In order to fundraise, we're challenging ourselves to cycle 550 kilometers from Utrecht to Paris in under 48 hours (follow our journey on Instagram @en_route_au_croissant !). Now, we know there are some rad ultra athletes out there who are doing this route in under 24 hours, but for two newbies who've never biked more than 130 kilometers in a day, it'll be a more-than-grueling experience. Why are we going to Paris?  Besides having studied together, the main thing that brings us together is our love for guzzling down a good croissant. To our demise, Utrecht has none. Thus, we're making our way to the French capital searching for the best of the best french croissants. Sounds logical right?

We realize we are very privileged to be able to choose to put ourselves through this, which is why we aim to raise money through our short journey. Unfortunately, people that are unjustly displaced and have to leave behind their homes also have to then face xenophobic border policies. We hope to motivate you to support a variety of grassroots projects to make refugees' journeys safer and more humane.

You can either become a one-time donor or support our journey throughout! If you want to be with us for the long ride, choose between three donation tiers (make sure you indicate what tier you want as a note in the donation, and leave your contact details so we can get in touch about the rewards). Find details about the tiers at the end of the description.

Have any wild ideas about other ways we can fundraise, or have any questions about the donation tiers? Shoot us an email (justgiving@rboor.33mail.com) or an Instagram DM (@en_route_au_croissant). 

Thank you so much for your support. 

Can't afford to donate right now? No problem. Help us by sharing our fundraising page on your social media! 

With love,

Mark and Simón

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Who are these people, you might be asking?

Simón: forever known as chunky boi for his midnight granola-devouring habits, Simón comes from the land of Sangria (which he also devours) and year-long sunshine. He's been pedaling ever since, hopping on the saddle at 4 years of age and completing his first tour at 8. Currently, he works at BYCS where he coordinates urban cycling advocates to get more (and a more diverse group of) people on two wheels. Personally, he loves exploring how moving by bicycle can transform the way communities relate to the natural world and each other. In his free time, he loves munching granola, reading Calvin and Hobbes, planning his next cycling adventure, and pretending he's edgy with an analog camera.

Mark:His life motto is "Sure, why not?", this usually ends in him accepting some very questionable challenges (Exhibit A: biking to Paris in 2 days). Mark got his first race bike a little bit more than a year ago, and has been roaming here and there ever since. At the moment, he is finishing his master´s degree at the University of Utrecht. He is writing his thesis at TenneT where he aims to look at emission reduction opportunities and at the same time, he is working part time at Libra Energy where he makes sure all the solar panels are spick, span and ready to power the country! Mark loves food and therefore eats a lot of it in his free time. Lastly, he really enjoys making friends and family join his crazy "sure, why not?" challenges.

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Donation Tiers:

- GOLD: Initial donation of €80 or more + €5 per 100 kilometers ridden in preparation for and during our trip to Paris. 

REWARDS: a personalized postcard sent from Paris, regular updates on our progress sent bi-weekly to your inbox, shoutout (if you want) on our socials, and one piece of exclusive merchandise.

- SILVER: Initial donation of €50 or more + €3 per 100 kilometers ridden in preparation for and during our trip to Paris. 

REWARDS: a personalized postcard sent from Paris, regular updates on our progress sent bi-weekly to your inbox, and a shoutout (if you want) on our socials.

- BRONZE: Initial donation of €15 or more + €2 per 100 kilometers ridden in preparation for and during our trip to Paris. 

REWARDS: a personalized postcard sent from Paris and regular updates on our progress sent bi-weekly to your inbox. 

Important note: please make sure you indicate what tier you want as a note in the donation, and leave your contact details so we can get in touch about the rewards.