Like many recent college graduates, 22-year-old Kayleigh Macchirole isn’t quite sure what she wants to do yet – only that she wants to continue making a difference in the lives of others.
So when the opportunity arose for her to bike across Tanzania this summer in a fundraising effort for the nation’s 2 million orphans, she knew it was meant to be.
“Not only will I get to see Tanzania in a really unique way, I’ll also get to see firsthand how my fundraising is helping the children there,” Macchirole said in an interview today.
This isn’t Macchirole’s first time traveling outside the country for a good cause. A lifelong North Fork resident and a graduate of McGann-Mercy High School, Macchirole took mission trips during her junior and senior years at Mercy to build houses in El Salvador.
And now that she is graduated from Wagner College, she is ready to give back in a new way.
Macchirole is currently in the process of raising $3,000 for Foundation for Tomorrow, a non-profit organization that funds education and support for orphaned children in Tanzania.
Located on the eastern coast of Africa, Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world. Almost half of the nation’s population is under the age of 15, and most of those children have no access to quality education, healthcare or food. Many suffer from extreme hunger and malnutrition.
The Foundation for Tomorrow, which organizes the annual cross-country bike ride fundraiser, provides and funds quality education for the nation’s nearly 2 million orphans.
“The more I read about the situation there, the more I know I’m doing the right thing,” Macchirole said. “It’s a great way to see the world while doing something good.”
Over the course of 10 days in June, Macchirole will travel 400 miles by bike with 19 other rides, from Mount Kilimanjaro to the Indian Ocean. The group will bike for about seven hours every day to reach their destination, camping out in the wilderness along the way.
Tanzania is known for its hugely diverse geography and wildlife. It is home to a wide variety of African mammals, including zebras, elephants, giraffes and hippos.
“We have to be prepared to ride on all kinds of different terrains,” Macchirole said. “One day we’ll be biking through sand most of the day, so I’m going to start going for rides on the beach.”
A lifelong athlete, Macchirole is excited for the physical challenge of biking across an entire country. She was a record-breaking track star in both high school and college, and in preparation for her trip she has been taking spin classes four or five times a week and working out every day.
“I like to think that I’m pretty physically fit when it comes to most things, but I think this is definitely going to be a test of my endurance – and my mental sanity,” she added, laughing.
Each rider in the group needs to raise $3,000 toward the Foundation for Tomorrow. All proceeds go directly toward the organization. Riders are expected to pay for the trip and airfare out of pocket.
Macchirole has raised almost $2,000 of her $3,000 fundraising goal.
“The response has been great,” she said.
Anyone interested in donating to Macchirole’s fundraising effort can do so here.
