Tour d'Afrique Riders Go for Gold:

Pedaling the Length of Africa Raises Pledge Money for Humanitarian Concerns

TORONTO, Feb. 24, 2010 ˆ By pedaling the length of Africa, cyclists raise money for humanitarian causes targeted by Tour d'Afrique (http://www.tourdafrique.com/) while traversing thousands of miles over upwards of four months.

As of July 2009, a total of $1 million has been raised by committed cyclists on past and present tours. Many are participating in the January 16-May 15, 2010 Tour d'Afrique race and expedition (http://www.tourdafrique.com/epictours/tourdafrique) happening now that spans 7,500 miles from Cairo to Cape Town.

"We're blessed with some incredible riders who have used their adventure cycling across Africa to raise money for a number of charities and NGOs," said Henry Gold, founder of Toronto-based Tour d'Afrique, a small, socially responsible bike tour company with huge intentions. Gold, who has been staging international trans-continental cycling tours and races since 2003, now inspires cyclists from over 15 different countries to take on such life-changing challenges.

Following are snapshots of riders on their giving-back saddles.

From Lawrence, KS, Jason Becker, a former teacher and now freelance artist and designer, is pedaling for Project Rwanda (http://projectrwanda.org/) founded by bike builder Tom Ritchey. This project funds custom Œcoffee bikes‚ for the coffee farmers and replaces older wooden bikes.

From Washington, DC, public sector consultant Dana Farrell targets melanoma research (a deeply personal cause having dealt with two melanomas in her life) through the Joanna M. Nicolay Melanoma Foundation. Follow her blog:  http://7500milesformelanoma.wordpress.com.

From Alberta, Canada, Stephanie Sleen, a wilderness guide, focuses on the Suncatchers Project (www.suncatchersproject.org) a non-profit that builds solar ovens for remote rural communities in Africa. 

Rick Wafsky who grew up in Alexandria, VA., but now lives and works in Calgary, believes like Lance Armstrong in the power of living every minute of life with every ounce of one‚s being. His charity is the Lance Armstrong Foundation for Cancer. He asks for public support by logging onto: http://www.livestrong.org/grassroots2010/rickwasfy.

Under Gold's leadership, since 2003 Tour d'Afrique Foundation and its partners have engaged in:
    donating bikes (http://www.tourdafrique.com/foundation/achievements) to health care professionals and organizations in Africa
    supporting bicycle advocacy and promoting projects that protect the environment (http://www.tourdafrique.com/company/about/carbon-neutral)
    encouraging participants in the tour to raise funds (http://www.tourdafrique.com/foundation/rider-fundraising) for their favored charity whether in their home country or in Africa or both

Other itinerary and fundraising opportunities this year are

2010 Silk Route Bicycle Tour http://www.tourdafrique.com/epictours/silkroute
Istanbul to Samarqand / 4140 km / May 22 to July 04 / •4,000 Fee

2010 Amber Route Bicycle Tour http://www.tourdafrique.com/dreamtours/show/5
St Petersburg to Venice / 3,100 km / July 11 to August 21 / •5800 Fee

Gold is a co-founder of Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief (CPAR), a relief and development organization which operates in several African countries. He also co-produced a trilogy of award-winning documentary films:
    Burden on the Land (The Discovery Channel, Global TV) a film about foreign aid and development in Africa
    AIDS in Africa (WNET/PBS) covered the AIDS crisis on the continent
    Meeting the Challenge (CBC/Man Alive) examined health issues in Africa.

After leaving CPAR, he became a consultant on environmental and transportation issues in the Middle East. He was co- founder of Committee for Public Transportation, an NGO which focused on issue of transport, environment and health.  In 2002 Gold was a finalist in the Marketplace of Ideas, with his project called Eco-development, an event initiated and sponsored by the World Bank

About Tour d'Afrique

Tour d'Afrique Ltd, (http://www.tourdafrique.com/) is named for its 2003 flagship cycling tour that annually traverses the African continent from Cairo to Cape Town (7,500 miles in four months). Directly and indirectly Tour d'Afrique benefits third world countries by organizing and staging transcontinental bicycle tours and races lasting 10 days to four months, today traversing all or part of four continents and over 30 countries. Other transcontinental tours are the Orient Express (2,485 miles/50 days, Paris to Istanbul); the Silk Route (2,572 miles/44 days, Istanbul to Samarkand) and the Vuelta Sudamericana (7,500 miles/134 days, Rio de Janeiro to Quito).

Tour d'Afrique's mission is to create cycling events that appeal to amateurs and professionals alike. Participants range from ages 18 to 80 and the common thread is a spirit of high adventure and a desire for truly transformational travel experiences.

The company‚s new DreamTour (http://www.tourdafrique.com/dreamtours) concept encourages individuals to submit their own trip of a lifetime that will then be open to other riders who may want to join in. A Tour d'Afrique Foundation (http://www.tourdafrique.com/foundation) promotes giving back to the communities touched by the tours and raises consciousness about the many benefits of bicycles as a means of sustainable transportation.

For tour dates, prices and more information visit: http://www.tourdafrique.com/, call +1-416-364-8255 or email the team at info@tourdafrique.com.

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