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Bike for Boyan’s Ocean Cleanup

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MY PROGRESS

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3

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18%

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I am Cycling for TheOceanCleanup.com

Welcome to my Cycling Fundraiser page for TheOceanCleanup.com !  

I set up this fundraiser on April 22 - Earth Day, 2024, and started a solo cycling trip from Hobe Sound, Florida to NYC, while fundraising and spreading the world of TheOceanCleanup.com along the way. I am now continuing my fundraising mission through all of 2024, and I committed to be fossil fuel free and only use my bike for the majority of errands and transportation trips this year. 

The Ocean Cleanup.com recently announced their need for 4 Billion in funding to complete the cleanup of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It is critical we ask our governments and big businesses (Pepsi, Nestle, and other single use plastics companies) to help in funding the removal of the trash from our oceans now. The plastic has been found to increase Climate Change in our oceans by decreasing the ability for our oceans to sequester carbon, and as it continues to harm fish, marine animals and people, it must be removed from our oceans as soon as possible. Please see the Scientific Research articles page from TheOceanCleanup.com for more information on how the plastics damage our oceans.

I find it critical to support The Ocean Cleanup’s mission to remove 90% of floating ocean plastic by 2040. That’s 16 years away, but if we can help them scale up operations, they will be able to remove the plastics sooner, saving whales, turtles, birds and fish from eating harmful waste that shouldn’t have to end up in our world’s rivers and oceans in the first place. I have been cleaning up plastics from our beaches with my sons since they were able to walk, for at least 20 years now. I am doing this fundraiser for my sons and their generation, because they deserve a healthy and clean environment. It pains me to realize that an entire generation has been raised, thinking that trash on the beaches and in our oceans is a natural occurence, when I experienced a childhood without this problem. We need to fund the real solutions, now.

I set a goal to solo cycle up the East Coast, taking a coastal route to be as close to the ocean as possible so I could spread the word about this non-profit to people who cared about our oceans. I succeeded, and completed 1,554 miles, from Hobe Sound, Florida to NYC/CT on May 22-23, 2024. I saw coastal communities on the Eastern Seaboard which I had never visited before by car. Many of these communities rely on fishing, boating, surfing and the ocean for their health and livlihood. I documented businesses, beaches, and cycling infrastructure along the way that were excellent or in need of improvement. I plan to submit my findings to advocacy groups and government agencies, with the hope of improving the ability for others to benefit from cycling and electric biking as a commute option. 

Would you please make a donation today to support TheOceanCleanup.com? 100% of the donation goes directly to TheOceanCleanup.com and you will get a tax receipt and email thank you from me almost immediately. 

Please tell your family and friends about my cycling fundraiser for our oceans! I would really appreciate it if you could help me get the word out. The impact increases with the number of people who are aware. 

Thank you in advance for your generosity; it means a lot! We have the solution— we just need to finance it! Please see the videos on YouTube or TheOceanCleanup.com to learn about the work being done in Gautamala, Malaysia, Jamaica, Los Angeles, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and the world’s most polluted rivers. The videos are fun to watch and show the processes of how the work gets done and how the people of each country are educated to stop polluting our worlds oceans and learn how to recycle and remove the plastics from their rivers and change behaviors to eliminate this problem in the future.  

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Raised

$900

My Goal

$5,000

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MY ACHIEVEMENTS

Created a team

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Received my first donation

Reached 25% of my fundraising goal

Reached 50% of my fundraising goal

Reached 75% of my fundraising goal

Increased fundraising goal over 200

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My Updates

November 2024: COP29 & The Earth Day Flag

Sunday 17th Nov
It is the first week of COP29 and I hung the blue flag with planet Earth outside the house. The Earth Day flag dates back to 1969, when peace activist, John McConnell decided to use the first image of the earth photographed from the moon as a symbol of people putting aside their differences and coming together for the Earth, environment and peace. McConnell conceived the idea in 1968, brought his idea to UNESCO San Francisco in October of 1969 and the first, official "Earth Day" was in 1970. 
I started my fundraising ride on Earth Day, 2024, and it has been a great year to dedicate my time to spreading the word and mission of The Ocean Cleanup as they work to protect our planet and oceans. Recent donations from neighbors with daughters and a former college friend with a son have brought my fundraising total to $905. I know they care about cleaning our oceans and changing how plastic is recycled as much as I do. 
I have one month left to go in my "fossil-fuel-free" year, almost solely  on my bike. I hope you will ask friends to continue funding the Ocean Cleanup, Green Energy and continue to stay involved in fighting for our rights during climate change. We can not give up hope or progress for a pollution free atmosphere and clean oceans. John McConnell's flag and hope when he conceived the first Earth Day was inspired by the photo of the Earth, taken from the Moon by the astronauts of the Apollo 8 mission. There was a message under the original photo that said, "As others see us, clearly, One World." We must work together as one world to solve the problems of pollution and climate change. The recent talks at COP29 include an excellent speech on China by Dr. Lola Woetzel. China installed more solar energy systems in 2023 than the rest of the world did combined in 2023. China is powering forward with clean energy changes, and we need to keep investing to help the rest of the world get there too. Tackling ocean pollution and climate must be done by all countries. As Lola mentioned in her talk, the atmosphere and the oceans have no divisions, like countries or states- pollution spreads everywhere in our air and oceans, no matter who creates it or where it starts, it affects all of us. This is why we must look back to that first Earth Day, the flag and how it symbolizes "One Earth", one planet and one ocean to protect, together. Thank you for your continued donations for The Ocean Cleanup. -Colleen

Let's Finally Give Them the Funding they Need!

Tuesday 8th Oct
Hello,
In September, Boyan Slat and his OceanCleanup.com team arrived in San Francisco, 6 years after they began testing their solutions for removing the trash from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. THEY DID IT! They HAVE THE SOLUTIONS AND SYSTEMS currently working now to get the plastic and trash out of our oceans and rivers. What they need most is FUNDING! Yes, 4 Billion to complete the cleanup of the Great Pacific Garbage patch. 

So, in September, I bought my first "The Ocean Cleanup" organic T shirt, and started wearing it every day, with the promise to keep funding this non-profit and spreading the word to on social media. I visited PepsiCo Headquarters in New York State, and wrote to their fundraising team to ask them to Partner with the Ocean Cleanup. You can write letters too! Go to the website of ANY large corporation you think should be funding the cleanup, and find the address for their corporate headquarters. Send your letters today! Ask them to email "Funding @ The Ocean Cleanup dot com"... Or to contact them via their Contact form.

I contacted LEGO to ask that they partner with The Ocean Cleanup to create a series of vessels, mini figs and mechanical systems based on The Ocean Cleanup's vessels AND MADE FROM OCEAN PLASTICS  to help educate kids today and spread the world that plastics must be reused and kept out of our land fills and oceans. There are many new materials being used to replace plastics today, from seaweed packaging, corn, rice, bamboo and more. Every new invention helps! But we still need to get the plastic and trash out of our world's rivers and oceans as soon as possible!

I am still wearing my Ocean Cleanup T-shirt, and yes, I definitely wash it! I would love it if you would join with me and continue to fund the Ocean Cleanup, today.

Thank you so much! One person's choices can make a difference. Our actions and independent behaviors really do affect change in the world.

-Colleen

Grand Central Station, NYC | May 23, 2024

Saturday 25th May
There was a trombonist playing when I arrived at Grand Central Station in NYC! It made it a very special moment. Thank you to all the businesses, inns, coffee shops, restaurants, bike shops and donors who have supported me so far! Because I am carrying all my own gear, I only brought two cycling shirts with me. My blue climateride.org cycling jersey, and my red, “Clif Family” jersey from a few years back, purchased at their tasting room in Saint Helena, California. I would wash my cycling jersey, underwear and socks out each night in the hotel room and blow dry it with the hairdryer in the morning if it wasn’t fully dry. This was how I made it through without going to a laundromat. I would also post my updates each night after I arrived at the hotel room, usually well after 9 PM so there was never time for anything but riding, eating, posting my fundraising updates, and sleeping! I loved doing this and seeing America this way, but it certainly was not a vacation. I hope you will respect the work I have done here and make a donation today for our oceans, marine life and all of us who rely on the oceans for recreation and livelihood. Thank you!

I made it to New York City!

Saturday 25th May
Colleen at the UN Building in NYC, May 23, 2024. I just completed my first, solo endurance cycling fundraiser— 1,554 miles from Hobe Sound, Florida to NYC. I biked through 10 states! I would appreciate your final donations now for TheOceanCleanup.com Thank you! Grateful for your support to remove floating plastics from our world’s rivers and oceans. 🙏🚴‍♀️🌊🌊 You will get a tax receipt for your donation and a thank you letter from me almost immediately. Thank you so much for helping clean our world’s oceans for the whales, turtles, fish, and humans!

May 20th, 7:50pm at Lewes-Cape May Ferry, Delaware

Tuesday 21st May
Missed the last ferry on the 20th by 5 minutes!… but enjoyed a very wonderful stay in Lewes at “The Blue House” an art house full of eclectic sculptures, art and vivid colors, from red stairs to lime green walls. A definite must stop for artists and surfers! Excellent shower in the Key Lime Room. Thank you to all! Quinoa Salad and juices at “Nectar” off 2nd Street. Homemade Icecream at “Kings”. Trek Bike shop is also one mile from the ferry and there are hours of beach paths here for those who want to safely bike with kids in a park-like, beach community setting.

1300 miles… Thank you to all the Trek Bikes Shops and new Donors in Lewes, Delaware!

Tuesday 21st May
I made it to Lewes, Delaware, ferry 5 minutes late last night and ended up staying at The Blue House Hotel, a creative and colorful spot, one mile from the ferry and 2 blocks from the beach. Thank you to everyone who has donated so far! Headed to Cape May today, and on to NYC. 

Edenton, NC Waterfront May 16, 2024

Saturday 18th May
My Birthday morning in downtown, historic Edenton, NC. I biked into Virginia on my Birthday and walked my bike 5 miles with a blown out rear tire before calling an Uber to take me to the Quality Inn in Cheasapeake. I visited REI and biked 10 miles to Trek Bikes in Virginia Beach the next morning. Enjoyed a day ride loop around the waterfront of Virginia Beach and back west to the Chesapeake Tunnel by 6pm. I was shuttled over the 23 mile bridge at 7pm with enough light to bike another 10 miles North into Virginia. Thank you to all who have donated and helped me along the way.

Virginia is for Bike Lovers! Thank you, REI & Trek Bikes!

Saturday 18th May
Hello from Virginia! I arrived in Virginia,  walking my bike across the state line, just before midnight on my birthday eve. My rear tire blew out with a “pop” like a shotgun just after the North Carolina visitor center on the other side of Route 17. This is my first actual hole, burned through a bike tire, where you can see the fuzzy white threads inside the tire. My Trek Domane 5 was purchased in 2022 and these are the same tires I’ve had on the bike since it was purchased. I am a daily rider, and I’ve never had a flat on this bike until now. I highly recommend Bontrager R1 Tires! Thank you to REI and Trek Bike shops in Virgina Beach for the new tires, and Jay, a local customer who saw my fundraising sign and paid my $100. bill for replacement tires as a donation to my fundraiser for the Ocean Cleanup. I spent some of my birthday on the 16th in the historic town of Edenton, North Carolina and enjoyed a beautiful, sunny day by the waterfront lighthouse and the local homemade pickle, sandwich and coffee shops. Thank you to the Inner Banks Inn for the discounted stay in honor of my fundraising  ride.

Mother’s Day 2024 New Bern, North Carolina

Tuesday 14th May
My biggest push yet- over 90 miles cycled on Mother’s Day, 2024 to reach the 1,000 mile milestone. For my Mom, and my sons, I want a better and healthier future for the environment, whales, turtles, birds. The Ocean Cleanup is doing it! They need our support. Please donate today. Thank you. -Colleen

Day 21: 1000 miles cycled milestone! Hobe Sound, Florida to New Bern, North Carolina

Tuesday 14th May
Hello! I cycled 90 miles on Mother’s Day to reach the 1,000 mile milestone for the Ocean Cleanup fundraiser. I am currently in New Bern, North Carolina, headed North towards NYC.
Will you please donate today to support my progress? Thank you. -Colleen

Day 15: 737 miles biked Charleston to Georgetown, South Carolina

Friday 10th May
(Please see my Instagram at @cproppe for more detailed updates.) May 6th-7th: This day took me from Historic Downtown Charleston over the Ravenel Bridge at up route 17 North at night, after a rain and lightning storm. I pulled into Georgetown, South Carolina just before 3am, exhausted, but happy. I had biked alone, through the darkness, with tall pines on either side of me, and vivid stars above me after taking shelter from the rain at the Elementary School south of McClellanvile. It was a really special journey, with help from Brittany, who lifted my bike onto the bike path from the Ravenel Bridge highway, and Matt at REI Mount Pleasant, who repaired my cassette on my bike when I stopped in to buy a pair of padded bike shorts. Believe it or not, I had cycled two weeks without any bike shorts and was definitely starting to feel the need for them. I have an excellent comfort racing seat on my bike made by Sella Italia. This relieves pressure and allows for better long rides. Thanks again to all for your donations to help clean our world’s oceans and rivers. Thank you! -Colleen

Day 14: 675 miles total biked since earth day!

Monday 6th May
Hobe Sound, Florida to Charleston, South Carolina. Moving along… It’s hard and scary, and then pleasant when a bike path or quiet road appears. All cycling and media posts on this ride are for our oceans and climate action! Please donate today, and support TheOceanCleanup.com ! Thank you.

Day 12: 565 miles total cycled

Saturday 4th May
Hobe Sound, FL to Ridgeland, SC

Day 6: TOTAL MILEAGE SO FAR— 275 MILES HOBE SOUND TO JACKSONVILLE BEACH/ATLANTIC BEACH FLORIDA

Sunday 28th Apr
Hello Friends and Donors,

I wanted to stop and take the time to give you a brief update on my journey so far. Day 6 brought me from the spectacular St. Augustine Lighthouse, where I watched a downpour from the porch of the Museum Gift Shop, to meeting surfers along the East Coast North, women in business at “Fountain of Juice”, and even an alligator wrangler with a live alligator on route to a sanctuary. I have definitely seen some trash along the sides of the road on A1A but I have not had time or space on my bike to pick it up. There are many places that definitely could use true bike paths or bike lanes. The sidewalks should be replaced with smooth roads without cracks in them for road bikes, and not just off road bikes. There are several places in Florida that have done this already and you can definitely tell the difference when you’re on a road bike because it absorbs all the bumps, unlike a mountain bike or electric bike. This journey is a physical personal challenge to see how far I can go without fossil fuels, using just my Trek road bike and a solar charger for my phone. I am stopping at hotels and putting them on credit that I will have to pay back. If you would like to sponsor that portion of my ride, you can send me reimbursement for hotel bills to my Venmo account at @Colleen-Proppe (There should be a picture of me there with my guitar) If you want to donate to my ocean cleanup fund, to scale up THEOCEANCLEANUP.com so they get the trash out of our oceans faster, please donate on this page.

Announcing my 1,300 mile + ride up the East Coast Greenway, from Florida to NYC/CT in Support of the Ocean Cleanup

Thursday 18th Apr

I am writing to ask for support and announce that I am cycling up the East Coast Greenway later this week, from Florida to NYC/CT, raising funds for The Ocean Cleanup. My last few months in Florida have taught me of the critical need for funding to protect our oceans and the solution- ending fossil fuel use, is still being denied by even my own parents, who still use two fossil fuel cars daily, and have offered to give me a used fossil fuel car I don’t want.


I am embarking on a solo cycling trip on the Greenway this Earth Day, in order to prove my commitment to ending fossil fuels and protecting the earth and it’s oceans.


In the first 3 months of 2024, I have cycled thousands of miles, for health, trips to the grocery store and pharmacy, and I’ve even written several songs while riding my bike!


Several things I learned in Florida while visiting my parents made it very clear to me that we are not doing enough to save our oceans or cool the planet, the number one issue is still the inability of individuals and businesses to give up fossil fuels and convert to net zero fast enough.


I also paddled with endangered manatees, learned about Sea and Shoreline Inc, the number one seagrass restoration business in the world, found a 40 year old conch on the beach—an animal 500 billion years old! that relies on seagrasses as a food source, just like manatees, and I was in tears the next day, realizing in my short lifetime, we have destroyed the habitat for all on earth.


This cycling trip is a “reaction to that inaction”— I am making a choice to ride the East Coast Greenway, with a backpacker guitar, and play every day, hopefully write songs and stop at other businesses who are also cycling or doing work to cool the earth and oceans.


I do not yet have a support team behind me for this, and am hoping you can help connect me with others and businesses who can donate and also may be interested in hosting me for an overnight OR simply meeting to be video-interviewed on my route. 


I am on disability and have limited income since a hip replacement in 2020 caused uneven gait and additional spine/hip and mobility problems. I can bike long distances,  but can not walk long distances or run at all. I am also not able to lift heavy items repeatedly, etc… and am in an ongoing lawsuit for spousal support in California, so my job options and ability to seek new friends are limited. I feel very much a solo Mom, still fighting for a better environment for me and my sons (who I haven’t been able to afford to see in a year now). What can I do but do something that will make me feel better and help others cleanup the planet. I know this journey will help in some way! Your support is invaluable and I hope you will follow along on my journey. Thank you!


Colleen’s Fundraising Page

https://fund.theoceancleanup.com/fundraisers/colleenproppe/community-usd


My Earth Day Story on Medium

https://cproppe.medium.com/in-2024-im-biking-everywhere-for-d5f0b2254338


Join my team

https://fund.theoceancleanup.com/join/BikeforBoyansOceanCleanup


Thank you for your support!


Colleen 🚴‍♀️🌊🌊🌎


CPROPPE.COM

Design, Writing, Art & Music 


1(415) 205-3490

Saturday April 13th

Sunday 14th Apr
Today I did a short ride to the local organic grocery store about 13 miles. 
It would be wonderful if you could share this with friends and get them to donate $13 today in honor of Saturday the 13th and the 13 miles I saved from using fossil fuels today. I have so far $100. and reached out to some businesses to donate directly to the Ocean Cleanup. I appreciate your continued support and would love that if you would share this with friends who love the ocean. Thank you! -Colleen

In 2024, I’m Biking Everywhere!

Friday 29th Mar
In the first 3 months of 2024, I have cycled thousands of miles, for health, trips to the grocery store and pharmacy, and I have even written several songs while riding my bike! This week, I repaired a bike for my family so they can ride too. I am seeking funds for the Ocean Cleanup. One of the reasons I am seeking funds to help them is that if they can scale up what they are already doing, they have the potential to remove all the plastic from the ocean much faster than their current projections. I have only used a car a handful of times this year and therefore, have used very little in fossil fuels. Your donation to my fundraiser will go directly to the ocean cleanup on behalf of my efforts to bike every day until I reach my goal. I will post photos and updates of my cycling here. Tha k you for your donations to help Boyan Slat and his teams clean the oceans! 

Thank you to my Sponsors

$25

Anonymous

In Honor of Aidan Costello & Mariners Swim Team

$25

Steven Witherell

$50

Mikaela Kull-baig

Thank you! Mikaela & Rahul

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