TransAmerica Tour
Summer 2013
On July 31, 2013 two local Richmond cyclists, Jack Haar and Howard Smith, completed their Trans America RideforJim from Seattle, Washington to Yorktown, Virginia. They set out from Seattle on June 2, 2013. The purpose of their ride was to raise funds for the James D. Popp Summer Research Fellowship, and to highlight the need for increased funding to support cancer research.
Jack completed his first Trans America RideforJim in 2008, and his ride inspired his friend and neighbor, Howard, to complete the ride with three companions in 2010 following the Adventure Cycling Route 76. The two men encouraged each other to do another TransAmerica RideforJim last summer using the Adventure Cycling Northern Tier route.
This route took them across Washington, Idaho, through Glacier National Park in Montana, across North Dakota, down through Minnesota, south along the Mississippi into Iowa before heading east through, Illinois, Indiana and on to Ohio.
In Ohio they rested for six days in Jack’s little hometown of Elmore near Toledo. Finally they headed south-east through Ohio to Pittsburgh, PA where they were joined by four friends from Richmond who rode the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) rail-trail from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, MD and then on to the C&O towpath into Washington D.C. After that it was just a short jaunt from DC down to Richmond. To complete the “sea to shinning sea” journey, Howard and Jack rode to Yorktown together on July 31st.
Come out on August 23, 2014 to the Ride For Jim at The Meadow Event Park and add your support to this worthy cause.
Check out the daily blog and pictures they posted throughout their journey last year