Marathons, century rides and decathlons will take a back seat this April as The University of Virginia and The College of William & Mary chapters of Building Tomorrow (BT) stage the first annual Race to Uganda, a week-long bicycle race covering 7200 miles, the approximate distance between Virginia and the country of Uganda.

Both campuses hope to raise a combined $10,000 to support primary schools to be built in 2007. Together, BT’s student chapters at UVa and W&M have raised almost $25,000 in the last year.

Along with the race itself, organizers have planned for several performing arts groups and other forms of entertainment to coincide with the incessant riding. ‘Celebrity riders,’ including professors, community leaders and even administration officials are scheduled to appear at both campuses.

The University of Virginia will use two venues throughout the week, opening the race at the University’s Amphitheater, then moving mid-week to the South Lawn. Sign-up information for those wishing to ride at UVa can be found here. Read more about UVa’s efforts in Charlottesville’s Daily Progress.

The College of William & Mary will use the College’s brand new, state-of-the-art Recreation Center located behind Kaplan Arena for the week’s entirety. Sign-up information for W&M will be made available shortly.

For more information about specific campus efforts, please contact Maggie Kirkpatrick at uva@buildingtomorrow.org or Amanda Nixon at wm@buildingtomorrow.org.

BT is a nationwide non-profit organization based in Indianapolis, Indiana, aimed at giving U.S. students the opportunity to raise awareness and funds to build and support educational infrastructure projects for vulnerable children in and around Kampala, Uganda. BT opened its first school, Meeting Point Kampala, in April 2006 with money collected by college students in the fall of 2004. Since then, the initiative has grown with more than 500 students participating in activities sponsored by nearly ten university chapters across the country. For more information, please visit our Website at www.buildingtomorrow.org or email us at info@buildingtomorrow.org.