From Ian’s Blog
Here’s the plan. I’m setting aside two weeks. August 13-27, 2016. I intend to travel Washington state from north to south. Along with a support crew, I plan to navigate through the state on multiuse paths and roadways, all the while posting about my experience on social media. The idea is to find out firsthand and share with the public how accessible our state is for nonmotorized users, specifically people in wheelchairs. I’d also like to help a worthy cause.
The Journey
Ian McKay is setting off on a journey that would be a challenge for anyone. He plans to ride his electric wheelchair from Canada to Oregon. Along the way he hopes to ride with people who want to share a piece of his journey, people who care about making our streets and roads safer for people on bikes, people who share his love of multi-use trails in particular.Trails are especially important for Ian, who uses an electric wheelchair since a bike crash at age 26 that left him paralyzed from the neck down. To learn more about Ian read his blog.
Route Planning and Ridealongs
Ian is looking for people to help him work out the best route, which needs to include a stop about every 30 miles to charge his chair. He’s hoping members of bike clubs along the route might want to share their expert advice and that riders and city planners and engineers will look at their local routes with accessibility and safety for all kinds of riders in mind.If you’re interested in helping with route suggestions or riding a part of the route with him, get in touch with him via email. If you have maps with details so much the better. Ian’s been using Strava to track his travels; in the last couple of years he’s put in over 5,000 miles.
Riding for a Cause
Ian is looking for sponsors and donors to help cover the cost of his trip. In-kind donations will help keep costs down–anything from a place to stay to a tank of gas for his support vehicle will help. Anything he raises over and above trip costs, estimated at around $3,000, will be donated to Washington Bikes to support our statewide work for better connections that are safe, accessible, and available to everyone. Legislative advocacy and investments in trails and safe routes are important to Ian; that’s why he sought us out.Sponsorship benefits include, but are not limited to, signs on support vehicles and Ian's wheelchair, recognition in social media, and mentions in any media interviews or podcasts he does. We're on Ian's team to amplify the thank-yous.
To learn more download the sponsor brochure.
Follow Ian's journey on his blog.