KOTO Training Centre Visit, February 11th

Fresh off of the successful KOTO dinner at the end of January, the H2H team visited the KOTO Training Centre on Wednesday February 11th. KOTO stands for Know One, Teach One, and it was started by a Vietnamese-Australian man named Jimmy Phan. The training centre that we visited takes at-risk Vietnamese youth and gives them a two year apprenticeship (fully paid for, including room and board) in the restaurant/hospitality industry. This training includes both kitchen and front-of-house, and by all accounts the trainees are in high demand before graduating. 

We rode out to the centre in D7 and were able to meet some of the trainers and students. We saw a front-of-house class and an English class run by a volunteer EFL teacher. The kids, aged late teens, seemed pretty happy to see us, and interested in our bike trip - but politely declined when we asked them if they wanted to join us on the 2000km trek.

It was, I think, the first of our visits to centres for the actual people that we'll be supporting, and although it was brief, it brought a smile to our faces. We got a group shot with a few of the trainers and students in front of the picture of the founder Jimmy Phan. The quote reads "The greatest accomplishment for someone who has helped you is to see you stand on your own two feet and in turn help someone else who reminds you of yourself - because when you know one then you should teach one."



Words by Isaac.

KOTO Charity Dinner @ Wednesday January 28th

Lots to report for H2H since our last post. As of now, nearly all of the riders have a bicycle and have been out on training rides, including the riders who were waiting for what seemed like an eternity for some Giant Escape IIs to arrive. We've had a few team meetings and social events, as well as a short workshop on bicycle maintenance. As of now, we're at about 20% of our goal - that's $7,974.60 out of $40,000.00 USD.

The highlight of January, however, was the KOTO dinner on Wednesday the 28th. KOTO, or Know One, Teach One, is a service that provides two year training programs to at risk youth in the hospitality and restaurant business. They have a restaurant in Saigon and another in Hanoi. You can check out their website here: KOTO. They held a formal dinner for which the H2H riders had been selling tickets for the better part of the month. The final ticket tally was in the vicinity of 120, and the total amount raised was about $1250 USD, or 26 million VND.

The word on the street was "Dress to Impress", and that we did. Everybody looked great, and the food was top notch, as it always at KOTO. We also held a raffle (which accounted for the bulk of the money that was raised) in which several of our sponsors and partners donated gifts. These were:

• Two annual passes for Loud Minority shows, valued around 3.5 million each.
• Two VND500,000 vouchers to The Bike Shop in D2. 
• Two Australian wines from Spotted Cow
• VND300,000 vouchers to Khoi Thom and Tuk Tuk Thai Bistro

There was also a presentation from Chris Rolls and Mike Tatarski, our fearless leaders, and a great musical performance from Ms. Cu, the lead singer of a local band called White Noize. If you were one of the two lucky people who got an annual pass for Loud Minority shows, I'm sure you'll be seeing more of her and her band!

The night was great, and it seemed like everyone had a good time with some fancy food and drink. Personally, the highlight of the evening for me was getting a chance to see one of the charities that we'll be helping firsthand.

Here are some pictures of the night:

- post by Isaac Luchini

The Cycling Soiree: A Guest's Perspective

Near the end of February, the 2014 H2H team hosted their third fundraising event for the season. Twas 'A Cycling Soiree:' a formal charity dinner held at KOTO Saigon. The purpose of the evening was to raise awareness about H2H and KOTO, as well as introduce the 2014 ride.

The evening was another huge success, raising a total of 19.7 million VND. Not only did we raise a lot of money, which will go towards supporting two students through KOTO's trainee program, but the attendees were all dressed to impress and faces were filled with smile lines.

Below are words from one of the evening's guests, Phil Battist. Unlike most of the guests that attended the Soiree, Phil had no relation to any of the riders, any of the expat community, or any idea what H2H was before he attended the dinner. Phil was traveling with his good friends throughout Southeast Asia, and stumbled upon myself and the lovely Gareth Katz. In conversation, I mentioned the upcoming dinner to Phil and his friends, and they all eagerly bought tickets to attend. Phil, an avid writer, asked if there was anything he could do to help me out. I suggested that he write about his thoughts on the evening so we could recount the event from an outsider's perspective. So, don't take my word that our Cycling Soiree was a huge success, but, for your consideration, take Phil's word:

"Gourmet food, live music, and a purpose; Cycling Soiree nailed it! My hat is off to the team of people that worked to put this event together as well as fund a great charity. The first thing that struck me was the atmosphere; the attitudes of the attendees could not have been more positive. The venue was beautiful, the people were classy and dressed up to match , everyone seemed genuinely ecstatic to support an amazing cause... not to mention excited for the delicious dinner the KOTO (Know One Teach One) staff prepared for us. As an outsider visiting the country, it was the first time in  my travels I witnessed a diverse group of people banding together to change lives forever.  The charities I am familiar with generally accept donations, but it is a rare phenomenon to actually see the faces of the people you work to help.  To accomplish their goal, the H2H  (Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh) charity will cycle the entire country of Vietnam  in order to raise money to facilitate a future for orphans who possess next to nothing. Within the last five years they have raised $134,000USD, with $38,000USD being raised last year alone! The organizations proceeds go towards training in customer service and culinary practices for unfortunate children, providing them with hope, a plan, and a future.  It is truly amazing what they have accomplished through a shared dream of bettering a strangers life, some of the kids they have worked with now have families of their own. I feel immensely fortunate that I had the opportunity to experience this event and I am thankful I got to interact with such a caring and determined group of individuals."

-Words by Phil Battist
                                   

 Less than one month to go before H2H rides again on April 3rd, 2014!

Introduction words by Andrea
Photos by Rhys Jones

H2H 2013 Day 1: A lucky start?

Having done H2H last year, I was really hoping that day one of the latest ride wouldn't be a repeat: rainy, wet, muddy, overcast, and generally miserable. Fortunately, when we got up this morning the weather looked...even worse. As we cycled from our hotel in Hanoi to KOTO for breakfast the skies opened up in a massive downpour, leaving us 20 riders wondering what the hell we had gotten ourselves into. The staff at the restaurant kept telling us that, in Vietnam, rain at the start of an event indicates luck. We were unconvinced.

By the time we finished eating the rain had slacked off, but the slow ride out of Hanoi turned into a mess, as Vien popped both of his tires at the rear of the group, leaving several people completely separated. After much apprehension and several phone calls we finally regrouped on the edge of the city, finally ready to really begin the day's journey to Hoa Binh.

The ride down the highway out of Hanoi was pretty uneventful, just like last year. There wasn't much to look at, and the wet road and honking buses made things a bit unpleasant.

 Luckily, once we turned off the highway, the weather began to clear. After eating lunch we were cycling under clear skies and blazing heat. The scenery was amazing as well. Last year we weren't able to see many of the karsts along this road through Hoa Binh province due to the fog. I had no idea that this area is so spectacular.

 The last 20 km or so was fantastic, with rolling hills and awesome vistas.

Those of us who arrived in town first gathered on a bridge to wait for the rest of the crew to show up, after which we found our hotel for the night and began to decompress.

 This was a far better day than last year, both in terms of weather and, personally, mechanical issues. In 2012 I had two flats and a brake problem, but my bike cruised on like a trusty stallion today. (Knock on wood, that will continue.) There were a few issues - a couple of people's pedals fell off, Emma had multiple flats - but overall it seems like everyone really enjoyed the day, and your confidence always grows once you realize you can do this. The total distance for the day ended up being about 90km. Onwards to Vu Ban tomorrow!

Mike T.