SAVE THE DATE!

The 2017 ride is OCTOBER 13th-15th.

***IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT NTA 2017 REGISTRATION***

We’re excited to reach out with some important news and big changes about this year’s registration process. Due to overwhelming interest in Nola to Angola, we have decided to implement a lottery registration process this year, which we believe will make participation in the ride more accessible and fair for everyone.

Registration will open July 1st and will close on July 9th at 11:59pm. In order to register, you must fill out the registration form at www.nolatoangola.org. For more details on the lottery registration process, please see below.

We truly wish that we could accommodate every single person who is interested in doing the ride. We increase our total number of riders gradually each year, yet retain a cutoff number because of the logistical work and safety concerns entailed in running a large, three-day, supported ride as a small, all-volunteer group. In order to better accommodate all interested riders, we are excited to announce that we’ll be planning a spring 2018 one-day ride event in New Orleans! Please stay tuned for those details later in the year.

Please reach out to us with any questions or concerns at info@nolatoangola.org.

How the lottery process will work:
–Anyone who is directly affected by incarceration will be given first priority.
–Placement on the ride will be determined by a random lottery, with spots reserved for first-time or returning riders, proportionate to the numbers of each group who register.
–You will be notified on July 11th if you were selected in the lottery, and then you will have three days to submit your $50 registration fee and sign up for an info session (to be held in July and early August).
–If you do not submit your $50 registration fee within three days, you will lose your spot.
–If you were not selected in the lottery, you will be randomly assigned a position on our waiting list, and we will notify you as we get to your name.
–For some, the ride is a challenge that only feels possible with a close friend or loved one riding alongside you. If you are planning to do the ride with another person, and only want to do the ride if that other person is also accepted, you both can register as one person. You will see this option on the registration form. The two of you together will have the same chances in the lottery as one person.
–Thanks for your support and interest!

You can read some coverage of last year’s ride from the Advocate, NOLA.com, The Gambit, and WWNO.

Want to volunteer? You can help Nola to Angola by donating to our riders, driving a support vehicle, or helping to prepare food.  Contact info@nolatoangola.org if you are interested in volunteering in any capacity!

_____________________________________________________________________

An e-mail from a formerly incarcerated gentleman which explains how important the project is.

“Hi Duane,

NOLA to Angola is a bicycle fundraiser established in 2011 to benefit the Cornerstone Builders Bus Project. Cornerstone provides free bus trips for families in New Orleans to visit their incarcerated loved ones.  For information about the bus project, please visit our page about Cornerstone.

In 2011, 25 riders cycled the 160 miles to Angola Prison over a three-day period.  The riders raised approximately $7,000 for Corner Stone, which covered the cost of six months worth of bus trips. This effort allowed roughly 400 people to travel from New Orleans to five state prisons in southeastern Louisiana.

In 2012, 34 riders biked over 168 miles to Angola over a weekend.  We raised over $14,000 for Cornerstone which covered an entire year of bus trips and has helped to increase the number of buses visiting each prison.

Here are selected photos from the 2011 ride: