Stacy Hanstad is preparing to log some serious miles this summer- as in 2,187 miles from her home in Los Angeles CA, to Antigua Guatemala, and then another 6,000+ miles from Guatemala to Tierra del Fuego. Stacy is planning a zero emissions bike ride, which is more than a vacation for her, as she hopes to raise awareness and funding for her volunteer efforts with an Orphanage called Casa Guatemala. Stacy plans to volunteer for 3 months at the Orphanage in Guatemala, and then continue to ride further through South America to Argentina, and eventually end at Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost city in the world. The entire ride will be close to 9,000 miles, and a total of 7 months of cycling. Stacy and her riding partner plan to leave California mid September after they finish the Los Angeles Triathlon, and with no major setback along the journey, they should arrive in Guatemala around mid October. “Both Evan and I are very flexible; when you’re on a touring trek like this you have to be. We’d both like to go through Copper Canyon in Mexico, and then visit the Mayan Ruins in Tikal Guatemala, and visit a coffee plantation, but other than that we have no set plans.” Stacy’s zero emissions trek is more than just fundraising for the Orphanage; it is also in effort to raise awareness about sustainability and reducing one’s carbon footprint. Stacy say’s “I'm pushing the boundaries of self discovery, adventure, active participation in community consciousness, as well as being proactive in global problem solving too, hopefully my trek will motivate others as well. Maybe not to jump on their bike and ride to Central America, but step outside their norm and become more proactive in how they can be a positive solution to some current issues.”

This is not the first of this kind of philanthropic mission for Stacy; she has been an active advocate with national organizations such as ONE.org, Human Rights Campaign, as she’s raised more than $10,000 for National AIDS Marathon Training program by running the Honolulu Marathon in 2006 and 2007 to raise awareness for AIDS education and research.

This entire project is supported by product sponsorships and donations, so if you would like to find out more about how you can help Stacy’s zero emissions ride from California to Guatemala, and Tierra del Fuego, please visit www.thebananaproject.org.