On Saturday, October 15th you, your friends, family and colleagues are invited to get on your bikes and pedal for peace in support of One Common Unity – one of the DC area’s most successful and dynamic peace education organizations. Since 2000, OCU has been combating violence and building peace, particularly with at-risk youth, through social and emotional education, arts-based empowerment, mindfulness practices, and unconditional love. Participating in the OCU Peace Ride is an opportunity to support and sustain this work!
The recommended starting location for the ride is the East Falls Church Metro station (orange and silver lines). From there you choose to complete one of four distances placed along the same route – 15 miles to Herndon (VA), 30 miles to Leesburg (VA), 55 miles to Harper’s Ferry (WV), or 120 miles to Berkeley Springs (WV).
The early stages of the ride (miles 0-30) take cyclists on the Washington & Old Dominion Trail – one of the region’s safest and flattest bike trails. The longer distances (miles 30-120) take riders through the rolling hills of Virginia wine country, along the Potomac River in Maryland, through the battlefields of Antietam, and over mountain ridges in West Virginia, eventually ending in Berkeley Springs.
The finish line for each distance is a local restaurant where OCU staff will greet you and other riders to celebrate your biking journey and provide you with some free snacks and drinks. You are also encouraged to purchase a full meal at the restaurant, in which case 15% of your check will be donated back to OCU. If you choose to do one of the longer rides you are encouraged to stop and take a break at the earlier finish lines along the route to rest your legs, meet other riders, and grab a snack.
OCU will also be providing a shuttle service for riders and their bikes back to the East Falls Church Metro station. So bike as far as you can and we will get you back home.
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