Students bike cross-country, build a house in the Springs

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Jul 25, 2005 | by ANDREA BROWN THE GAZETTE

It's not quite an "Extreme Makeover" episode, but 29 college students are helping to build a home in a hurry in the Stratmoor Valley area.

Five weeks into a crosscountry bicycle ride, the students stopped in Colorado Springs to help build a Habitat for Humanity home.

They arrived two days after a huge home was built in 96 hours in Peyton for the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" TV show on ABC.

That spectacle was witnessed by thousands of people. The students are laboring in relative obscurity.

You might have thought they'd be looking for a little rest after bicycling all the way from Annapolis, Md.

Instead, they've been swinging hammers under the hot sun for a seven-day construction project at 1019 Maxwell St.

"I would say it is harder to bike" than build, said trip coordinator Matt Heygood, a recent University of Virginia graduate.

"Building is more fun," agreed Mary Wood, 21, a College of New Jersey student who had never been west of Tennessee.

The cyclists, who average 80 miles a day on the road, plan to head over the Rockies on Wednesday and reach San Francisco on Aug. 20.

"Building this house has been amazing because you never thought that as teenagers or young adults you could physically construct a house," said Megan Nichols, 19, a University of Notre Dame student.

Most of the students weren't builders or bikers before joining Bike & Build, a nonprofit company that partners with Habitat campus chapters and affiliates.

"I had biked to campus, that was about it," said Nina Robbins, 20- year-old University of Virginia student.

"I was just sitting in the cafeteria and there was this little flier in the middle of the table that said, 'Do you want to bike across America?' It seemed impossible at the time --and an adventure. When I found out it was for affordable housing, that was a plus to it."

The cyclists worked alongside the future homeowners, Refugio and Maria Castanon, and some construction experts.

The couple and their two children, ages 3 and 9, have been living in a small mobile home.

"This is our first home," said Refugio Castanon, who works at Avis Rental Company. "It is wonderful. They come from so far -- and by bike."

"It is so exciting," his wife said.

The project marks the 71st home for Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity, said Paul Johnson, executive director.

Bike & Build funded half of the cost of the house. The cyclists, who stay mainly at churches and schools, each raised $4,000 to join the project.

Erin Campbell, 22, a University of Virginia student, was drawn by the sport and by the cause. The friendships are a bonus.

"You actually get to meet the people of America, not just see the geography," Campbell said.

Sunday, the students had a day off from building. Most went on a bike ride.

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0253 or abrown@gazette.com