June 01, 2012 – Twenty-three-year-old Polish-Canadian Kasia Szewczyk is cycling across Europe this summer to raise money for World Literacy Canada and their literacy centers in India. Kasia decided to take on this challenge after continually mulling over which of the many causes she believed in should be donated to. After much thought Kasia realised that without the basic ability to read and write – one’s involvement with any cause would be limited. So she chose to partner with World Literacy Canada and began planning her Journey across Europe.

Kasia left Barcelona, Spain, on May 15th for the 3,400 km cycling trek to her final destination of Istanbul, Turkey. She will be travelling approximately 80-100 km daily going through Spain, France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and finally Turkey. Along the way Kasia is hoping to make stops at various cycling and literacy festivals in some of these countries to promote the cause of Literacy and the Ride to Read.

The money Kasia raised for WLC will be directed towards their Women’s Literacy and Education Centres in northern state of Uttar Pradesh – the most impoverished and populated in India. WLC has been working with people here for over 56 years and have provided many the gift of literacy that has essentially changed their lives, providing them with not just the ability to read but with opportunity and access to the community around them.

While cycling through Europe, Kasia intends to keep the expenses to a minimum by staying in free campgrounds and making use of social networks for travellers abroad, such as “Couchsurfing” and “The Warm Showers Network”. It is by keeping expenses to a minimum that Kasia will be able to have 100% of each dollar donated to the Ride to Read program.

The donation dollars will be split as follows:
– $0.67 goes directly to WLC to fund their literacy and education centres in India
– $0.33 will go to expenses for the ride up to 100% of expenses

After expenses for the ride have been covered in full, 100% of each dollar donated will be given directly to World Literacy Canada.

Donation for the Ride to Read program are tax deductible and a tax receipt will be mailed to those who donate. Donations can be made through World Literacy Canada’s website at www.worldlit.ca or by logging on to the Ride to Read blog at www.ridetoread.wordpress.com and clicking the “DONATE” icon which will direct you to the WLC donation page. We request that any donations made online are sure to choose the “ride to read” under fund designation. Donations can also be mailed to World Literacy Canada’s Toronto offices at:

401 Richmond Street West
Suite 281
Toronto, Ontario, CANADA
M5V 3A8

Updates on the ride including videos, pictures and stories will be available on the blog as well as our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ridetoread and our twitter page @ridetoread.