About Cover Indiana

Habitat for Humanity
350 Mile Bike Ride Fundraiser
May 11 – 17, 2008

What is Cover Indiana?
Now in its 5th year, 'Cover Indiana' is a bicycle ride (not a race) that covers 350 miles over the course of seven days. However some riders may choose to ride the shorter route which only covers 150 miles in just three days. Each rider is required to raise funds; from family, friends, businesses, and church groups, designating them to a Habitat for Humanity affiliate they wish to support. Riders are required to raise a minimum of $350, but the average amount raised is over $1,000 per rider. Habitat affiliates serve as our local hosts for overnight stays. A key component of the ride is to raise awareness about the need for decent, safe, and affordable housing. In this regard, we are in contact with all forms of media to generate coverage and we find the ride is a very attractive story for newspapers, radio, TV, cable, and etc.

Who Participates in Cover Indiana?
Cover Indiana riders come from all walks for life. Some just getting starting in cycling and others who are old pros. No matter what skill level of biking you are at you can always find another person on the tour like yourself. As far as age the tour is most made up of college students but people as old as 70 have ridden on this tour.

So, where do you ride?
Riders have to choice from three different start locations which include; South Bend, Bluffton, and Evansville. The two northern locations will meet up in Peru on the third day and then travel to Lafayette, Crawfordsville, Terre Haute, Plainfield, and finally ending in Indianapolis. The southern route will begin in Evansville and then will travel through Princeton, Jasper, Vincennes, Linton, and then meets up with the other group in Terre Haute. From there all cyclists will ride together to Plainfield and into Indianapolis for the big celebration.

I feel like I’ve heard a fair amount about Habitat for Humanity, but how does it work really?
Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization that works through locally formed affiliates to eliminate poverty housing by building simple, decent, safe, and affordable housing for families in need. These families contribute hundreds of hours of sweat equity in the construction of their homes. The families purchase their homes under a 20 year, 0% interest mortgage. All Habitat homeowner mortgage payments go back into the creation of more affordable housing. Habitat sells these homes to families at no profit. We can keep the cost of the homes affordable primarily by engaging thousands of volunteers to help us build homes and by partnering with the suppliers of building products to obtain donated materials.

What are the results achieved by the Habitat for Humanity affiliates building homes in the state of Indiana?
There are 72 Habitat affiliates building homes in the state of Indiana. Over the last 23 years Habitat affiliates in the state have built over 2,000 homes. This number will continue to rapidly grow over the next years and by 2010 we are expecting to of completed more then 2,500 homes.

Is Habitat for Humanity of Indiana an affiliate?
Habitat for Humanity of Indiana is a state support organization created under the umbrella of Habitat for Humanity International. As a state support organization, HFH of Indiana was created to identify and serve the needs of Habitat affiliates in the state of Indiana in the creation of decent, safe, and affordable housing for those in need. The two main activities of HFH of Indiana are to generate resources for the 72 affiliates building homes in Indiana, and to generate awareness of the Habitat program and the need for affordable housing.  For more information about HFH of Indiana check our website at www.habitatindiana.org.