Norton Hoping to Raise $1500 for Educational Foundation

She’s hitting the road again with her trusty bicycle, and once again, Nancy Norton is dedicating her ride to the Candler County Education Foundation.
“If 100 people will contribute $15, that will equal the number of miles I will ride,” Nancy said of her upcoming Northwest Loop Cycling Adventure.
The ride begins this Friday in Portland, Oregon, and will conclude in Portland 31 days later, Aug. 30. The tour is organized through Womantours and will feature 26 riders, including Nancy, and two guides traveling almost 1500 miles through Idaho, Washington and Oregon. Nancy first developed a love for bicycling when she and 16-year-old son Matt Towers embarked on their Bicycle Ride Across Georgia adventure in 1986. She has continued to be a BRAG participant, completing her 24th consecutive ride in 2009, and has even brought in a number of friends and family to share the experience. During these 24 years, she has also cycled in Florida, New York, Washington’s San Juan Islands and North Carolina, and in 2007, she completed the Womantours’ 2007 Cross Country Southern Tier.
While fulfilling a desire to see the country from the seat of her bicycle, Nancy said this Northwest Loop ride will also allow her another special opportunity, “to give something back to the community that has supported me all of my life.” “My successes in life are due in large part to the education I received in Candler County schools,” she said. Additionally, Nancy spent 25 years as a teacher and administrator in the local school system before her retirement in 2002. From May 2002 until February 2007, Nancy worked with the Georgia Department of Education, helping school systems manage No Child Left Behind funds. “Because of my involvement in the Candler County Educational Foundation, I decided that this was a chance to raise awareness and funds for the foundation,” Nancy said of the organization in which she serves as chairman. “It is my hope that the funds generated through the foundation will provide experiences for the children of Candler County that will enable them to be successful in life.”
The foundation was organized in 2005 as a way to use grants and gifts contributed by donors to enhance educational opportunities for students in the school system. In the past, grant funds have been used to purchase band instruments and to fund sponsorships for scholastic teams in competition, classroom technology, summer enrichment camps and special performances. To follow Nancy on her ride or to contribute to the Candler County Educational Foundation in support of Nancy’s ride, visit www.nancystraveljournal. com.