Team to Ride for Good Cause

Friday, May 11th, 2007

Posted on the Surrey Now – February 7th, 2007
By Carolyn Cooke

They think big, that’s for sure.

Shawn Smith, 26, and a group of like-minded 20-somethings, have started a non-profit group with the aim of raising $100,000 to be set up as a fund for microcredit loans in Mexico and perhaps other countries in future. They intend to raise awareness and cash via a 3,000-kilometre, six-week cycling trip from Vancouver to Tijuana, Mexico.

Agents of Change, as they’re called, is the brainchild of Smith, a South Surrey resident, who wanted to make a difference. Smith and his cousin, Bronwyn Cass, first considered an international bike ride in October.

“Everything just took off like fire all of a sudden and we realized it’s really going to happen,” he said.

The riders plan to leave Vancouver on May 3. Between now and then, they and university students across Canada and the U.S. are staging fundraisers to help get Agents of Change to the fundraising goal. The people who’ve committed to the ride are all either university students or recent grads, most aged 21-23.

Smith said they had to put a cap of 20 riders in place after organizers were inundated by people who wanted to join. Of the 20, there are five Surrey riders aside from Smith. He will be joined by his sister, Kelli Smith, Nigel Wilson, brothers Sean and David Peters and Jeremy Ratcliffe.

The campaign officially kicked off this weekend, and netted the group about $4,000.

Agents of Change has partnered with Kiva, a group that facilitates microcredit loans in numerous countries. Kiva (www.kiva.org) posts profiles of those looking for start-up capital, and allows lenders to choose who they will invest with.

So far, the group has secured an RV, truck and trailer, “driven by two very supportive mothers.”

Unfortunately, the group is still in need of other things: namely 20 road bikes as well as the gear and clothing to go with them. All the riders have committed to paying their own way, said Smith.

But, Smith admitted, none in the group are regular cyclists, although his cousin has come up with training suggestions to help them get in shape, if not exactly make them long-distance riders.

“With a group of 20,” Smith said, “we’re only as strong as our weakest link.”

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