Hello All

My name is Derek Dunham and I am both an activist and a cyclist. My birthday falls on August 29th, the day hurricane katrina touched down in New Orleans. Ever since then I have felt a drive to get down there and help, but I had not been able to yet.

Skybus has tickets from Greensboro, NC to New Orleans, LA for only 40 dollars. I want to fly, and then either ship a bike to myself, or acquire one while I am there, possibly through a collective. There are a couple in the city. Ideal situation would be to have one waiting for me so I could have transportation while I am there, but I am seeking a touring bike, because when I leave, I want to pedal back.

I don't yet know exactly how I am going to help, or what organization, if any, I will work through. I would love to get involved with Brad Pitt's project, but I don't even know if that would be possible. I also really want to look into getting my ride back sponsored somehow. I would like to be able to make money for the causes I work with as well as help them while I'm there. If anyone has any suggestions or advice as to how I might be able to pull this off, I'd really appreciate it.