Bike for Homies: 500 homies cycle from Amsterdam to Paris for a fundraising campaign for the homeless
Homies Foundation has blossomed into a volunteer organization that helps the homeless. The organization links groups of friends to homeless people, so that they can build a network and use it to get their lives back on track. With the money collected, living quarters are first arranged. From this basis, homeless people can build a better life.
Douwe Bob
Stichting Founder of Homies Steven Borghouts and opinion maker Sander Schimmelpenninck want to embark on this year’s adventure with singer Douwe Bob, among others. Together with 500 other cyclists, they want to collect as much money as possible for the Homies Foundation.
This isn’t the organization’s first fundraiser. In September 2021, Borghouts and Schimmelpenninck will cycle from Amsterdam to Rovaniemi, Lapland, within 19 days. They collected more than € 80,000 from more than 100 groups of friends and followed them to help the homeless.
Bike for Homies
“We received more positive reactions that we wanted to do this more often, but bigger. Paris is a beautiful city where you normally don’t come by bike,” says Borghouts. To keep the event accessible, no special bike is needed: “Anyone can participate, all you need is a city bike touring bike with at least 7 gears and some willpower,” he continues.
Bike tour with festival vibe
The routes average 100 kilometers per day and pass through cities and varied landscapes. But according to Borghout, it’s about more than just the cycling adventure: “It doesn’t stop after the daily finish: there is good food, a campfire and Douwe Bob takes his guitar with him. This creates a wonderful festival vibe with people who all want the same thing: a beautiful week and making a difference in the lives of the homeless.”