Cyclists stop in Macon as part of effort to eradicate impoverished housing

By TIFFANY STEVENS
Macon.com/The Macon Telegraph
Saturday, July 24, 2010

Cyclists from across the country rode into downtown Macon on Friday afternoon after completing another stretch of a biking marathon that began in Niagara Falls, N.Y. The eight bikers are some of this year’s Fuller Center Bike Adventurers, a group of cyclists traveling 2,500 miles to help promote the Fuller Center for Housing’s mission of eradicating impoverished housing conditions.

This year’s marathon marks the third such effort, said Dianne Fuller, a representative of the Fuller Center for Housing. Biking enthusiast Ryan Iafigliola came up with the idea, she said. “He loved biking and wanted to start a bike ride that would do two things — raise awareness about poverty and how to eliminate it, and that would raise funds,” she said.

“Each (group of cyclists) can designate where they want the money to go. In general, it goes to places like Haiti, El Salvador, communities in the U.S., Nigeria and the Congo.”

Members of the group started their trip June 20, and they plan to arrive in New Orleans by Aug. 7.

“It’s been awesome. We call it the Bike Adventure, and it’s been a very fitting name because every day is a new adventure,” said Iafigliola. “Most of the people have been here for the entire ride. But we’ve had so many people who have joined for a few hours or days or even weeks. It’s been really cool.”

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