In One Ear: Kindness reigns supreme
Naresh Kumar, CEO of FreedomSeat, while being cheered on by some local residents and members of the Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce, set off Sunday morning on a 3,500-plus solo ride to Washington, D.C., on his tandem bike, named Kindness.
He’s raising funds and awareness for the fight against human trafficking and slavery. Sponsored by the Rotary Action Group Against Slavery and 3Strands Global Foundation, his goal is to raise $250,000. You can donate and follow his journey by going to pedaling4freedom.org.
Kumar rides a tandem bike hoping to have people join him along the way. The bike is also symbolic. “The cyclist in the back seat ... ,” he noted, “can’t steer or brake, illustrating the loss of freedom experienced by trafficking victims.”
No stranger to long, difficult treks for this cause, in New Zealand, unsupported, he ran/hiked the Te Araroa trail, about 1,900 miles, in 87 days.
In 2017, he rode a tandem bike across the length of New Zealand, “picking up random strangers and friends along my way to help raise awareness.” In 2019, he rode a tandem bike from Chennai, India, to Hamburg, Germany, crossing 13 countries. A film about that ride is at freedomseat.org/film.
“As I pedal across the U.S., I’m excited to meet folks from all walks of life, hear their tales, and share in their journeys,” he recently posted on his Facebook page. “It’s these connections that make the open road feel like home, where kindness and camaraderie reign supreme.”
