Rachel Fitz saw first hand the need for improved schools in Rwanda, where she lived with her family for three years.
“The children who walked by our house each day on their way to school had so little,†she said, “and I wished there was something I could do to help them.â€
The pre-teen, who turns 12 this month, fulfilled that wish during Rachel’s Ride for Rwanda last weekend in Langley.
The event was held at Derby Reach in Fort Langley and was a kids-only fundraiser for Wellspring Foundation’s efforts to improve education in the central-African nation, Rachel explained.
With her family, Rachel volunteered at Wellspring’s Lake2Lake ride in the Okanagan last fall and, on the drive home, hatched the plan for a similar, kids-only ride.
“She’s just one of those kids who comes up with ideas, and this one stuck,†said her father, Mark Fitz. “We’re very proud of her.â€
A handful of preteen riders gathered Saturday, June 7 at Derby Reach Regional Park, and so far Rachel’s Ride for Rwanda has raised more than $2,400, with more donations still coming in.
They didn’t get the rider engagement they hoped for, Mark said. While they were shooting for 50 riders, about a dozen came out.
For more information on this effort, and this young Surrey girl’s goal, visit Rachelsride.ca.