IN THIS ISSUE
	Graduation at The PEPY Ride School How Can YOU Help? In Memory: Noah Simring Were you there?: Recent Events Protect the Earth. Protect Yourself. Featured Sponsor: For Impact Upcoming PEPY Events

Dear PEPY People,

Wow! We have been writing these PEPY newsletters for over a YEAR now! Welcome to the 12th edition, and thanks for following along with us.

We have some GREAT news to report! PEPY is now a 501(c)3 certified, tax-free non-profit in the US! That means that all of you US tax-paying citizens who would like to donate and get a tax write off can now do so by sending a check made out to The PEPY Ride to 105 Schrade Rd, Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510, or by donating online through our new online donation site at: http://www.guidestar.org/partners/networkforgood/donate.jsp?ein=20-4739485

On this site you can register to make automatic monthly donations if you like as well!

We have info on the 2006 graduating class from The PEPY Ride School and thank yous going out to those who threw PEPY events this month.

PEPY also sends condolences out to the family of Noah Simring, PEPY May 2006. Pictures of his time with us in Cambodia are below, and he will be missed by all those of us who were lucky enough to get to know him.

Keep us posted on what you want to see in this newsletter at teamleader@pepyride.org

Thanks for all you do,

The PEPY Team

PEPY Ride School's First Graduating Class

Here are some notes from Tolors, PEPY's English Teacher, about the graduation ceremony held at the end of last month. ---------------------------------------------------------- The graduation ceremony at The PEPY Ride School was held in the morning of Saturday July 29, 2006, chaired by the school principal, the mayor, some parents of the kids and other local authority officers with all the Chanleas Dai Students. More than 90% of the sixth graders passed the exam to be able to go on to secondary school next year. I believe that 80% of those who graduated will go to secondary school next year. The number of graduates was 64 students but some of them have decided to dropped out since they are getting old or have family problem. There are 3 outstanding kids per class, so with 11 classes there are 33 students who were outstanding and got an honor award from the school with some study gifts from the school. The first part of the program was the salutation of national flag at about 7 o'clock. The Second was the speech from the principal to inform attendees all the success from the school. Third program was the speech from parents of the kids who showed how excited they were and showed their gratitude to the teachers who have bee trying so hard to teach their children. They were especially happy that their children have a chance to study English and Computers. They are so proud of this for their family and communities. The fourth part was to give honor awards and study gifts to all 33 outstanding students. The fifth part of the program was the giving of bet nets sponsored by PEPY to all the 6 graders. These nets can sleep 2 people. They are happy to have this for their families. (FYI- The Bike-to-School Program is beginning this coming year after we raise the funds for this project.) The final part of the program was the school ending parties. The kids got to go into their classes with their teachers to have some snack and drinks supported by you at PEPY. Then they join English class to play some games and dancing. Thank you, Tolors

How Can YOU Help?

PEPY is going to have a raffle event, and we are looking for some great prizes! Got anything you can donate? Let us know: volunteer@pepyride.org Going to Cambodia (from the US, Japan, or Canada) and have extra room in your bags? PEPY has collected donations of certain school supplies which are not readily available for purchase in Cambodia, but we don't have enough arms to carry them there (and crayons are heavy to ship!). If you would like to bring any supplies with you on your next trip to Cambodia, or would like to purchase some items for others to bring, let us know! You can now download PEPY's Bike-to-School flier at http://www.pepyride.org/downloads/bike-to-school-flier.pdf. Give it to friends and family! During this holiday season, encourage your loved ones to give bikes to Cambodian children as gifts to friends and family! Now that PEPY is registered with tax-free status in the US, PEPY is eligible for many more grants and donations. If you come across one that you think PEPY should apply for, let us know! Many brides and grooms these days are starting to make donations, rather than give table gifts at the wedding. If you are getting married and are trying to choose a non-for-profit to support, and PEPY is who you pick, woohoo! That would be fabulous! An example of an organization where you could choose to support PEPY through your wedding is www.idofoundation.org Now support PEPY by booking hotel rooms AROUND THE WORLD! From our website, www.pepyride.org you can now book hotel rooms in over 15 countries around the world! Make sure that you click on the exact city you want from the PEPY site and then book in order for a percentage of your donation to be donated to the PEPY cause! PEPY desperately needs laptops with wireless internet capability. Can you donate an old laptop...or even a new one? PEPY has 3 interns coming to Cambodia this fall. We need to provide 3 laptops for them and future interns in Cambodia.

PEPY Remembers Noah Simring

All of us at PEPY send our condolences to the Simring family. Noah Simring, a volunteer on our May 2006 PEPY trip supporting Sangkheum Center, passed away at the end of July. Deemed the "Young 'Un" as he was only 20 years old, Noah was so compassionate and giving that the whole team fell in love with him. We all remember him surrounded by people selling silk scarves. Not wanting to disappoint anyone, he bought one from each! At his funeral, his sister Mia spoke about how important the trip had been for the two of them. We will all remember Noah as a loving brother, brilliant musician and mathematician, wonderful dancer, deep thinker, compassionate soul, and so much more.

Thanks to you for these successful PEPY events!

This month many of you threw, or supported PEPY events! Thanks so much! If you do so in the future, send us a picture and a few words about it so that we can all share in your success. Here are a few highlights from this month: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Every year on July 1st, thousands of people flood the streets of downtown Ottawa to celebrate Canada Day. This year Laurie and I set out to join the Canada Day crowd and to spread the PEPY word. So how do you stand out in a crowd of thousands?? You wear a huge double-sided billboard covered in PEPY logos, Cambodian flags and huge writing. To teach people about PEPY's mission, we distributed pamphlets and sold hand-made PEPY bracelets made by children at the Mlop Tapang orphanage in Sihanoukville. Many of the people who approached us had traveled to Cambodia or were from the area, while others were simply impressed with our outfits. We may not have raised a lot of money that day, but we definitely managed to teach a few extra people about PEPY. - Anna and Laurie - PEPY Ride 2007 Riders ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Peach is a self-taught artist whom I met in Bangkok, early 2005. He has an international following and showed in Japan for the first time August, 2006. About fifty people came to his solo debut at the Pink Cow: My Dream Comes True in Tokyo, an exhibition of original paintings and dolls. In addition to this show, Peach suggested this event as a joint benefit for the health project at the PEPY School and a Thai NGO. The White party was chic and a white-hot success. Dressed in white, guests received a corsage: a stuffed animal made by Peach and his grandmother. DJ Dust spun awesome beats and gave out complimentary mixed CDs and Coco's bellydancing brought the house down. Peach is committed to the PEPY Students. His paintings are up for auction and proceeds will be shared between PEPY and a THAI NGO. Y25,000 was raised and the word was spread among many who are interested in adventure travel and sustainable development. I look forward to seeing you at future PEPY benefits. Peace, Damion - PEPY December 2005 Trip ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On Saturday, July 15th, the first Kyoto PEPY fundraiser of 2006 was held at the Pig and Whistle pub--and it rocked! In addition to a darts tournament and used book auction, soon-to-be PEPY riders Steph, Tom, and Dave serenaded the bar with live music for a few hours. In the end, PEPY wound up with over 50,000 yen! The event went so well, that more are being planned for the near future. If you're in the Kyoto area and want to rock out and support PEPY, email Dave at drodwin@gmail.com.

Protect the Earth. Protect Yourself.

People power and second hand Japanese bikes to pump water On a recent cycle trip through the provinces of Cambodia, I was fascinated to run into a fellow Australian in Kratie, Charles Davis. Charles works with the NGO Partners for Development (PfD), and their Agricultural Development Program in Northeast Cambodia. Charles explained to me the problems associated with the traditional water pumps that would be installed for a cost of around $500, and once they broke nobody would have the skills or knowledge to fix them. He took me out to one of his field sites, and demonstrated a fantastic, simple, bicycle powered pump that the villagers can assemble themselves for under $50! In fact most villages in Cambodia would have access to the necessary skills and equipment to be able to build one of these. Another thing that really grabbed my attention is the bicycles that were being used to make these pumps: second hand bikes from Japan, mostly still with the name and address of the previous owners attached! Imagine hearing word from a rural Cambodian family that your old pushbike was being used to water their crops! Until the past few years, North East Cambodia was isolated from developments in other areas of Cambodia due to poor roads and communication. In addition to significant developments and improvements to traditional crops, new systems for household vegetable production are being developed to allow for production throughout the year, particularly during the 6 months dry period. Fish farming has also been introduced in ponds dug during the construction of the new national highway #7. Using bicycle pumps to supply water from wells, the Mekong River or ponds has enabled households to establish timber and forage tree nurseries as well as gardens. These technologies could make a big difference to previously isolated and neglected households. Upon seeing these improvements, my mind immediately went to PEPY. What a fantastic project for PEPY and the kids that we work with, to build and install one of these pumps with the designs that PfD are publicizing! And what better validation for the simplicity and robustness of the design, than to have a group of schoolchildren build one! With the publicity raised with activities like this, the idea and designs could spread rapidly through the country, improving people’s access to this simple and cheap technology that has the capacity to make a real impact on their livelihoods. As a final note ­ it is chance meetings like this that demonstrate one of the benefits of cycling through areas like Cambodia. We get to see so much more, and meet so many more people than we would otherwise. And, not only do we get to meet so many more people, it is highly unlikely that they will forget the lycra-clad cyclists that appear on their horizon either! Building relationships is essential to the work that we do ­ and what better way to do it! PfD's Agricultural Development Program Kratie and Stung Treng Provinces, N.E. Cambodia is supported by the United States Department of Agriculture "Food for Progress Program" www.pfd.org Contact Mitchell at mitch@pepyride.org for more information about the bicycle powered water pumps. Photos by Charles Davis.

Featured Sponsor: For Impact

This month, we would like to thank Tom Suddes and the For Impact team for all that The PEPY Ride Board learned at their training camp. For Impact (www.forimpact.org) hosts regular development training workshops, working to provide organizations with the tools to turn their visions into reality. Our weekend at the leadership center was an opportunity to eat, sleep, breathe, and brainstorm PEPY in the company of people with years of experience in the non-profit world. Perhaps more importantly, it was a time where we were challenged to clarify our vision for PEPY, both now and in the future. It was impressive to see how much we could accomplish in only 2 days with the vision and insight we found with the For Impact team. True to its name, the workshop has already had a tremendous impact on PEPY, sparking powerful ideas that are on their way to becoming realities! For those involved in organizations looking to expand their impact, or planning a funding campaign, For Impact is an invaluable resource. Visit www.forimpact.org and join today! Membership is FREE! In addition to the training camps at their beautiful Ohio retreat center, Tom and Nick also travel the US with the workshops, so check today an see if they are coming to a city near you! We are so grateful to Tom, Nick, Brett, Kerry, and the rest of the For Impact team for their invaluable wisdom, creativity, and support of PEPY.

Upcoming PEPY Events

Upcoming PEPY Trips: November 18-26: Siem Reap to Phnom Penh Adventure Ride PEPY Tours provide hands-on volunteering opportunities in remote Cambodian communities combined with adventure travel. This November we will cycle from Siem Reap down to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Funds raised by participants will support The PEPY Ride School in Siem Reap as well as support our lessons at a rural school in Kompong Channang Province. Email volunteer@pepyride.org for more information Trip Itinerary: Nov 18th: Meet the team in Siem Reap Nov 19th: Visit the Angkor Temple Complex with students from The PEPY Ride School Nov 20th: Visit The PEPY Ride School and teach interactive lessons to the children Nov 21st: Cycle through the temples of Angkor Nov 22nd: Cycle to the ferry port and boat to Kompong Channang. Once in KC, cycle through rural pottery villages and an ancient temple complex. (50km) Nov 23rd: Visit a rural school and teach a PEPY lesson. Pedal on to Oudong. (70km) Nov 24th: Visit Oudong Mountain and the temples lining the top. Ride into Phnom Penh. (45km) Nov 25th: Visit the killing fields and S21 prison and learn more about Cambodia's sordid recent history. Be inspired by a performance by the children of CCF orphanage. Nov 26th: Departures December 24- January 1: The PEPY Ride School Volunteer Trip Email volunteer@pepyride.org for more info. December 27-January 18: The 2007 PEPY Ride This 3 week ride follows in the tread marks of the original 2006 PEPY Ride. Riders will visit local schools and amazing NGOs as they learn, connect and cycle through Cambodia. This ride is full! So sorry! Upcoming PEPY Events: Saturday Sept 9th: PEPY/BEE Fundraiser Join the BEE team as they cycle through Japan and teach about sustainable living. You can keep up with the BEE Team's 2 month ride at www.beejapan.org. On Sept 9th, in Hamamatsu, Japan, BEE/PEPY will hold an event at Down Under Bar. It's sure to be a fun night! Find out more from Robin: robin@pepyride.org September: The 1st Swiss PEPY Ride is here! The Bike-for-a-Bike ride around Lac Leman, starting and finishing in Geneva, will take place in mid-September. By joining this beautiful weekend ride around the lake, each rider will fund a bicycle for a Cambodian child through our new Bike-to-School program. [add link here]. Sign up or get more details from Peppi: peppi@pepyride.org NYC PEPY Fundraiser Coming mid-September. A night out in New York supporting PEPY. Email volunteer@pepyride.org if you want to help out. Sept 30th-Oct 1st and Dec 2nd-3rd: The All-Japan Soccer Tournament Play soccer. Enjoy the party. Be part of a team. Support PEPY. Doesn't get much better than that! The Eastern Soccer tournament starts Sept 30th and the Western tournament on Dec 2nd with the All-Japan finals in Saitama World Cup Stadium in January! Find out more at the tournament's new email address: altsoccertournament@gmail.com and thank them for supporting PEPY! Saturday Oct 28th: Tokyo Charity Scavenger Hunt's Halloween Hunt Compete with teams from all over Japan. Enjoy an awesome night out in Tokyo. Party it up Halloween-style and explore all that Tokyo has to offer. If you don't know the best places to go in Toyko, come to find out. If you do, come to win. Find out more at www.tokyoscavengerhunt.com Feel free to start your own PEPY events! We'd LOVE your support!

The PEPY Ride Sponsors