Chuck Robinson to Bike for Charity (Again)

Thirty-seven days into Chuck Robinson’s 2015 effort to raise funds for charity by bicycling 2,400 miles from Bellingham, Washington, to his hometown of Galva, Illinois, he had to cut his tour short due to an accident in North Dakota.

Now, the former Village Books co-owner is planning to ride again, starting on September 1 at the site of his accident in North Dakota and biking to Bar Harbor, Maine, a distance of about 2,000 miles.

Robinson is pledging $1 per mile to each of three organizations: the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (Binc), the Whatcom Community Foundation, and Whatcom Community College.

Others are also welcome to pledge their support for as little as 1 cent per mile. Robinson is encouraging those in the book industry to pledge to Binc.

“As a sustaining contributor to the Binc Foundation, I’m thrilled that I’m further able to support the organization on my ride,” Robinson said. “Binc has been instrumental in helping booksellers who have suffered hardships or emergencies, and in providing scholarships for higher education. It’s a great foundation — and a way for booksellers and friends to help booksellers.”

Binc Executive Director Pamela French said the foundation was thrilled when Robinson said he would resume his 2015 ride for charity, “not only because of his generosity to us, but because he embodies the best qualities of booksellers in our industry — the vision to spread great ideas and create strong community bonds and the determination to pursue a dream despite the obstacles. We truly appreciate Chuck’s dedicated support in spreading the word about our programs.”

During his trip, Robinson plans to visit a number of bookstores, and his wife, Dee Robinson, will be trailing him in their Rialta motorhome. For parts of his ride, Robinson will be joined by Binc Board President Lori Tucker-Sullivan, Richard Hunt of AdventureKEEN, Matt Baldacci of Shelf Awareness, and college friend Joe Ziemba.

Learn more about Robinson’s new adventure on the Village Books website, and follow Robinson’s ride blog for updates throughout his trip.

Chuck and Dee Robinson founded Village Books and Paper Dreams in 1980 in Bellingham, Washington. The store, which currently has two locations, is now owned by former senior managers Paul Hanson, Kelly Evert, and Sarah Hutton.