To raise funds to help disadvantaged children at five charities, The H2H Charity Ride (from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City) will get underway on March 30 in the capital and finish in the southern city on April 26.

The 15 volunteer riders from different countries are embarking on the 2,000 km ride through Vietnam’s picturesque countryside, following sections of the famed Ho Chi Minh Trail to raise money for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children in Vietnam. The charity ride will take four weeks and riders have to cycle between 80 to 100 km each day in difficult conditions of mountains, dangerous roads, mad traffic, extreme heat, and intense humidity.

Donations can still be made on https://www.justgiving.com/teams/h2h2019 throughout the ride and up until the end of May. All funds donated will be distributed across five deserving charities, including the lead charity Saigonchildren, together with the ILA Community Network, Live and Give, Know One Teach One (KOTO), and the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation. And remember, 100 per cent of funds donated will go directly to these organizations.

Andy Fischtrom, Justene Wilke, and Kacey Killingbeck are daring enough to participate for a second time. Andrea Towne and Zachary Kester are courageously joining the ride for a third time. Justene Wilke participated in the inaugural ride in 2009 and is being welcomed back for the 10th anniversary ride. “This is my bucket trip,” said Vietnamese rider Bich Thao. “I’m always grateful for my life, my beloved family, and the amazing people surrounding me. But I also know that we don’t live in a perfect world because there are always children out there in need. It’s time to walk out of my comfort zone and give back.”

The H2H Charity Ride was established in 2009 by three teachers at ILA Vietnam: James Ortmann, Rob Wilson, and Sophie Lewis. In the last nine years, H2H has raised $338,747 to support and take care of poor children in Vietnam. The volunteers do not get any money from the program. 

VN Economic Times