Acorns of Hope is a 4-day bicycle ride

Hey Everybody! Check out this very cool bicycle ride/community service event going on right here in south LA next month. Please join for the fun and good vibes. The Acorns of Hope (AOH): Acorns of Hope is a 4-day bicycle ride from Church Point to New Orleans, by way of Lake Charles, Raceland and Houma. The primary goal of AOH is to reforest the natural cheniers of Southern Louisiana. Many of these belts of live oak trees were destroyed during Hurricanes Rita and Katrina. Their disappearance has led to a massive increase in the rate of coastal erosion, which now exceeds the loss of a football field every forty minutes. Bob Thibodeaux, a local arborist (tree care professional) and tree farmer, set out four years ago to tackle this threat. He aimed to plant 10,000 quality live oak trees along the coastal plain within five years. In support of that effort, he created an annual bike ride. For one week each November, cyclists and arborists alike are invited to ride country roads, plant trees, and experience the hospitality and charm of Southern Louisiana through its food, its people, and its history. In concert with this ride, Bob also holds various community events throughout the year, with the help of his team at Bob’s Tree Preservation. These including tree plantings, anti-litter and pollution efforts, and education initiatives. Participation in the AOH bike ride is open to all. 2011 will mark the fourth annual AOH; come join riders from east, north, south and west (as far away as Canada) and really “dig” south Louisiana! We promise that you will see and enjoy your state as never before! Travel Details: Participants should arrange to be in Church Point in the morning/early afternoon of Tuesday, November 15th. If you are flying into Lafayette, shuttles will be arranged to pickup participants from the airport. Be ready for a big bowl of squirrel gumbo and a hearty welcoming that evening! The AOH will end around noon on Saturday, November 19th. Therefore, participants should arrange transportation from NOLA. Event Details: 1) There will be plenty of opportunities to plant trees. 2) There will be numerous organized events during the AOH, mostly tree plantings at local schools. While participants are always welcome to join in, they are not required to do so and are entirely free to choose which events they wish to attend. 3) There will be several options for riding bicycles each day. Some participants will ride more, some less. There will be at least one 100km day in the schedule. 4) There will be support for the ride. 5) Local organizations and individuals will donate many delicious meals. However, participants will likely be responsible for some of their own food. 6) AOH organizers are working to secure free accommodations for at least part of the week. Otherwise, participants will be responsible for their own lodging. Either way, information regarding hotels will be made available soon, and updates will be posted on both the event page and the group page.* *Information current as of October 19th, 2011. PLEASE RSVP ASAP at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=296326267062956 so that AOH organizers know how many hotel rooms they will need to block out for the event. Learn more about AOH here: http://acornsofhope.org/default.asp and join the Acorns of Hope Face Book Group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/41636335932 Films of the 2007 and 2008 rides are on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkMwvssuWl4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMe5epY-u_k Hallie Belle 225-281-3264 (h/c) 225-578-7219 (w) hallie_dozier@yahoo.com