WESTFIELD – Karen Hardy of Westfield will be riding her bicycle 500 miles up the coast of Maine with her husband, Stephen, as her vehicle support. The ride will be a fundraiser for Educate Malawi, Inc., a non-profit organization that Karen, her daughter Shannon Massey, and Stephen started in 2008.
The organization provides educational resources to the children of Malawi, Africa in the form of educational scholarships, supplies and classroom building construction. The small non-profit has provided scholarships for two young women at the college level who are studying to become teachers. The most recent project was the construction of a classroom building at a primary school that houses two classrooms. In addition to these projects the organization provides opportunities for U.S. students to connect with children from another country by writing letters and sharing pictures with each other.
To date, four schools in MA, CT and IL, have participated in this pen pal exchange program. Karen’s ride will take place over the course of eight days with an average daily mileage of 60. The ride will start in Kittery and go north up to Calais, ME and return to Camden. She will be speaking at three libraries in Maine about Malawi, Africa. Karen’s goal is to raise $3,000 on this ride.
For more information visit the website at www.educate-malawi.org. Educate Malawi, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
