Newark-To-Washington Bike Ride Will Help Students Pay For College

NEWARK, NJ — A fundraising bike ride from Newark to Howard University is returning for 2022, this time with corporate sponsorship. But organizers hope to keep raising money from the community for the annual effort, which will help some deserving local students to pay for their educations at a historically Black college or university.

The HBCU Scholarship Ride was born in August 2020 at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, when a group of friends came together to make a bicycle journey from Newark to Howard University in Washington D.C.

The ride – made in support of an incoming first year student who was having trouble paying for tuition – ended up raising $6,500 for her education, according to Hassan Abdus-Sabur, who huffed and puffed through four states and “unforgiving highways” along with his buddies. Read More: Friends Band Together To Help Newark Students Pay For College

The fundraiser continues to grow, according to Columbia Bank, which is kicking in $10,000 to the cause as this year’s title sponsor. Last year, the scholarship ride raised $38,000 – far surpassing expectations – which enabled organizers to give a $10,000 scholarship to two Howard University freshmen, as well as several smaller, need-based grants to five other Howard students.

This year, the goal is even higher: $50,000. If the fundraiser hits its goal, the money will be divided between six newly graduated Newark students, who will attend not only Howard University, but also Morgan State University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

The fundraising race is nearing the finish line – as of Wednesday, a GoFundMe campaign has garnered more than $47,000 for the scholarship ride. Learn more or make a donation here.

The 2022 HBCU Scholarship Ride is set to kick off on Aug. 26 at 8 a.m. The ride will depart from “The Yard” at Military Park in Newark. After the two-day route through Philadelphia and Maryland, the ride will commence on Aug. 28 at “The Yard” on Howard University’s main campus, followed by a finish line celebration. Cyclists plan to chronicle their journey in real time.

Abdus-Sabur thanked Columbia Bank for their contribution to this year’s ride.

“Their contribution has made it possible to keep our promise to Newark students that we would not allow financial barriers to infringe upon their dreams of attending a HBCU,” Abdus-Sabur said.

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