Bicycling for Charity: Chuck Robinson Shares Highlights From the Road

On June 15, Village Books co-owner Chuck Robinson set out on a 2,400-mile bicycle ride from Bellingham, Washington, to his hometown of Galva, Illinois. Now approaching two weeks on the road, and the 600-mile mark, Robinson is well on his way to making a significant donation to the three charities he has selected as the beneficiaries of his fundraising ride: the Book Industry Charitable Foundation, the Whatcom Community Foundation, and the Galva Foundation for Educational Enrichment. Robinson has pledged $1 per mile to each of the three charities and is encouraging friends and colleagues to pledge any amount per mile to the foundation(s) of their choice.

Riding between 40 and 100 miles a day, interspersed with rest days, Robinson’s goal is to reach Galva by August 10. He is sharing his progress on his blog, which features regular updates and an interactive StoryMap that includes videos, pictures, tweets, and sound bites.

Returning to his ride following a weekend break at the Chuckanut Writers Conference in Bellingham (which he flew to, rather than bike), Robinson talked to Bookselling This Week about his adventure and the impetus behind such an undertaking. “I tell folks that, like the decision to open a bookstore, it was a moment of insanity,” said Robinson, who has been bicycling regularly for several years.

After successfully tackling challenging rides, such as Mont Ventoux in Provence, France, and two-day trips from Seattle to Portland, “I began thinking about a cross-country trip,” he said. “I’ve also followed a number of blogs and talked with a number of friends who’ve done it and enjoyed it.”

The toughest parts of the trip are now behind Robinson, as he has made his way through all of Washington — including the mountains of the Cascade Range — over Idaho’s panhandle, and into Montana.

As he makes his way toward Illinois, “I’d love to visit a lot more bookstores, but unfortunately our route isn’t taking us past many,” said Robinson. “We will visit as many as we can and, of course, we’ll post photos when we do.” Robinson has already stopped at Trail’s End Bookstore in Winthrop, Washington, and also paid a visit to Village Books’ former children’s buyer Pam Ager.

Equipped with an iPhone packed with tunes (audiobooks have proven too difficult to follow while pedaling), Robinson is rocking out to Janis Joplin, The Band, and The Beatles during his long days. Robinson is supported by wife, Dee, who is driving the couple’s Rialta RV along the route, providing him with a place to sleep and some much-needed breaks for the length of the trip. On day six, after he climbed the 5,575-foot Sherman Pass in Washington, Robinson wrote in his blog post, “Waiting at the summit was my second favorite sight — the Rialta. The first, of course, is and has been for nearly 50 years, Dee. And, of course, both were there.”

Back home at Village Books, Robinson’s absence is “proving how unnecessary I am,” he said. The store’s strong leadership team, which includes General Manager Paul Hanson, Store Manager Sarah Hutton, and Merchandise Manager Kelly Evert, ensures Robinson a necessary peace of mind while he’s on the road. “They can handle just about anything that comes up,” he said.

Follow Robinson as he blogs about his trip, and join the fun by pledging to donate based on the miles Robinson rides here.