Rwanda Ride

On Saturday, January 24, at 9 a.m., Goleta Beach Park will be the staging area for the third annual Ride 4 Rwanda fundraiser. Open to all ages, the event consists of a bike ride from the beach to More Mesa and back and serves to raise awareness and money for Project Rwanda, an area nonprofit founded by mountain bike legend Tom Ritchey that gives bicycles to displaced Rwandans in an effort to aid post-genocide recovery. More than a leisure vehicle, the bicycle has become crucial transportation for the country’s independent coffee farmers; the project has thus far distributed 1,500 “coffee bikes,” allowing farmers to “carry more beans and make the trip to the washing stations faster, resulting in increased profits.” The event costs $25 and includes refreshments and a T-shirt. For more info, call 284-7558 or visit projectrwanda.org.