Chile to Kili (with a stop in Issaquah, Washington)

On Monday I met Elvis Munis, a young Tanzanain ecology student who currently cycling around the world, unsupported, to raise funds for education for his fellow Tanzanian students. Elvis is currently in paused in Issaquah, and next week Vino Bella, a lovely little wine and espresso bar just two doors south of the Bicycle Center where I work, is hosting an event where Elvis will show slides and videos and talk about his journey and his cause. The event is a fund raiser and as I talked with Elvis and his friend Garth, I became more and more impressed with this quiet young man and his work. I told Elvis I'd do what I could to get the word out.

That is why I'm posting this here. The best tool I have at my disposal is this blog and if you are anywhere near Issaquah next Wednesday, I strongly urge you to come to meet Elvis and hear his story. Below are the details from the announcement on Facebook.

Chile to Kili, Issaquah WA

Meet Elvis Munis, the amazing Tanzanian ecology student who is cycling around the world, unsupported, to raise funds for his education and fellow Tanzanian students.

Chile to Kili was conceived by 26 year old Tanzanian student and naturalist Elvis Munis, a member of the Conservation Resource Center and ardent conservationist and cyclist. As many of you know, Tanzania is a beautiful country filled with unique and wonderful natural ecosystems, but many of these ecosystems are being threatened. Protection and proper management of these systems is critical to not only the plants and animals but to the Tanzanian people who depend on these ecosystems for their livelihoods, from food, wood, and medicine to supporting the tourist industry that provides so many jobs. Elvis identified one of the major problems in conservation in Tanzania: the lack of opportunity for Tanzanians to obtain education necessary to manage wildlife and natural resources.

Elvis started his amazing endeavor in South America in January and since then has cycled 11,000 miles, making his way to the Pacific Northwest. We are glad to host Elvis here in Issaquah and welcome you to hear about his journey.

The event is hosted by Vino Bella Wine and Espresso Bar and will include:
- Slide show and videos from Elvis' travels
- Music by Michel Gotz
- Silent auction and raffle

We wish to help Elvis' goal of raising fund for conservation education scholarships. We believe that we can raise $5,000, which will allow Elvis to get his first degree in Conservation Biology as he continues to cycle and raise funds for other students. By supporting education for Elvis and his peers, we will be helping to fulfill their dreams and support critical ecosystems of Tanzania.

Date/Time: Wednesday November 14, from 6:30 to 8:30pm
Venue: Vino Bella. 99 Front Street, Issaquah WA 98027.

I'm helping Elvis out by donating this lovely old Nishiki to his cause:

I wrote about this bike a few months ago, noting that "now I just need to find somebody who needs a good old bike." What we are going to do on Wednesday is raffle the bike off. It'll work like this. We'll have a jar and slips of paper. For $5, you get to print your name and contact info on a piece of paper that goes in the jar. If you pledge $10, two pieces of paper with your name go into the jar. You can pledge as much as you want and every $5 earns you another slip in the jar. At the end of the night, Elvis will pull a piece of paper out of the jar and if your name is on that paper, you win the bike. All the money in the jar goes to Elvis and his fellow students at the Conservation Resource Centre in Tanzania.

Christine and I will be at Vino Bella Wednesday night November 14th to hear Elvis talk about his trip and his work. I hope you can join us and help Elvis keep rolling.

Kent "Mountain Turtle" Peterson
Issaquah WA USA