Student Cyclist Rides to Continental Divide to Get Book Donations Rolling

By Mary Spencer
Kansas City, Mo., School District

Skyler Myers, Rockhurst University graduate student, will begin a nine-day solo ride on Aug. 1, 2009, to secure donations of new books for the Kansas City, Mo., School District (KCMSD). Myers will depart State Line Road and 39th Street at 9 a.m. on a solo bicycle ride to the Continental Divide at Poudre Pass, Colo.

The challenge of pledges secured from donors to add books for each mile covered or foot scaled in elevation will keep his eyes on the road and foot to the pedal.

“The route I’ll be riding is nearly 800 miles long and climbs about 9,000 feet in elevation,” Myers said. “My goal is to secure one book for every mile plus one book for every foot of elevation. Our goal is 9,800 new books for the new school year.”

Myers holds a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Kansas, began a master’s in education program at Rockhurst this winter and plans a career in urban secondary education. “It’s no surprise that kids who read regularly and are physically active perform better academically,” Myers said.

“As a future educator, I aspire to provide the kind of positive example that was set for me by teachers I admired. This ride brings attention to two things often missing in schools today—reading and exercise. Grueling exercise, both mental and physical. I hope to prove that sometimes you have to want something so badly that it will hurt to go after it, but you’ll find that it’s worth it in the end. You have to push through the pain for the prize. Not everything is going to be fun, even if you enjoy the activity.”

“This is an incredibly generous effort on Skyler’s part,” said KCMSD Lead Librarian Grace Bridgeford. “We have about 18,000 students, and this ride will provide one book per two students. Since these are high-quality library bound books, they will last a long, long time. These kids will remember Skyler’s ride for years!”

Find Out More:

http://www.fox4kc.com/news/wdaf-cyclist-books-school-district-062309,0,6726318.story

http://wednesdaysun.com/200907151129/news/student-rides-800-miles-to-collect-books-for-schools.html