Christopher St. Cavish, an expatriate living in Shanghai, will embark on a motorcycle odyssey from Shanghai to Qinghai on October 27 to raise money for local charity, Hands on Shanghai.
Marquass Motorcycles, SZ Moto and Grand Dragon Gear will donate a restored, custom People's Liberation Army sidecar motorcycle for the trip. Charity and the desire to see the dynamic interior of China will motivate St. Cavish across the 2,500 kilometers between his Shanghai apartment and Xining, Qinghai province.
St. Cavish hopes to raise 200,000 RMB to fund the Hands On Shanghai Rising Stars program.
Hands on Shanghai's Rising Stars program, in conjunction with Shanghai Sunrise Foundation, provides students of the urban poor with the funding necessary to attend school. Additionally, it pairs the student with a dedicated, long-term mentor to provide support and mentorship. The SantoChino Ride aims to raise 200,000 RMB, or enough to provide annual school tuition, supplies, and food for 80 students.
"It's a great opportunity to show off our quality restoration of these gorgeous bikes," says Marquass Motorcycles owner Jeff Marquass. "Chris is adventurous to do it, and it's for a good cause. We'll be happy to support him and contribute towards making it a successful journey."
Previous bicycling trips in the mountains of Vietnam and the swamplands of his native Florida have helped to prepare St. Cavish for what will no doubt be a demanding journey, along which the elevation rises 2250 meters and temperatures are expected to drop below -25 Celsius.
