Clatsop Community College and the Fort George Brewery + Public House are pleased to announce the May event in the 2020-21 Ales & Ideas lecture series—broadcast live from the Lovell Showroom via Facebook LIVE. On Thursday, May 6th at 7pm CCC Faculty Fernando Rojas-Galvan will share his inspiration and plans for a July Bandits Biking for Bandits (BB4Books) fundraiser to include a 1600-mile bicycle journey to visit each of Oregon’s seventeen community colleges.
As an educator for 24 years, CCC’s Spanish, English, and GED Instructor Fernando Rojas-Galvan has a frontline perspective on the impacts textbook costs can have on students working to improve their lives through education. His vision for BB4Books was originally inspired by legendary Canadian, Terry Fox, who ran thousands of miles to raise money for cancer research. In May of 2020, with plenty of time to ponder life during COVID-19, Fernando envisioned riding his trusty bike around Oregon to visit community colleges as a means to raise money to cover textbook costs for CCC students. With the support of the CCC Foundation, this vision has become a fundraising adventure, with full information including sponsorship opportunities now available on the CCC website: https://www.clatsopcc.edu/event/bandit-biking-for-books. After a July 5th send off from Seaside, Fernando will begin at Lane Community College in Eugene, pedal north to Albany, Salem, and Portland; then east to Ontario and west to Bend. From Bend he’ll head south to Klamath Falls, over to Grants Pass, Roseburg, Coos Bay and up the Oregon Coast to Astoria. The event will culminate on July 25, 2021 at Clatsop Community College’s Lexington Campus. This unofficial kick-off to BB4Books begins with an Intro from CCC President Chris Breitmeyer. Hear Fernando’s story including the powerful impact Oregon community colleges have made on his family’s life. Learn about Oregon initiatives to reduce textbook costs through OERs (Open Educational Resources) and other efforts. Or sign-up to sponsor local students to help fulfill their dreams of higher education.
Fernando Rojas-Galván was born in 1971 in an adobe house in the ejido/common land of El Sauz, a village of 400 people, located in the far northwestern section of the state of Michoacán, México. June 18, 1974 marked Fernando’s first day in Oregon. He stepped out of his father’s 1965, White Ford Galaxie 500 onto the dirt road that lead him to fifty or so pickers half a mile away on a strawberry farm near present day Hillsboro. Fernando was raised in Hood River and The Dalles, Oregon. After graduating from The Dalles High School in 1990, he began college studies at Portland Community College, later earning BA degrees in Political Science (U of Portland), Secondary Education (College of Santa Fe), and an MA degree in Spanish/Border Studies (U of New Mexico). An educator for twenty-four years and counting, he spends his free time reading, writing, running, hiking, snowboarding, skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and biking the many roads and hills of Oregon.
Although Fort George cannot host live audience members at this event, anyone with a computer, pad, or smartphone is welcome to find their way to www.facebook.com/fortgeorgebrewery The event will go live by 6:45 p.m., and the formal presentation will begin promptly at 7:00 p.m. Virtual participants will enjoy a live multimedia slide presentation plus a Q&A opportunity to pose questions to Fernando through a monitored Facebook comments section. To order Fort George food and beverage for pick-up, visit https://www.fortgeorgetogo.com. Be sure to thank the good folks at our local Public House for their ongoing support of free community lectures—now with a virtual twist.
