The route of the mission is a 2,700-kilometer trek — roughly 1,677 miles — across India to benefit two charities close to the hearts of Kevin Bryant, a Roanoke Rapids native, and his friends Jeremiah Erby and Merid Berhe — Cool Earth and the BRKTHRU Foundation.

The catch is they will be driving an auto rickshaw as part of the Adventurist’s Rickshaw Run.

“It's like a three-wheel car. It's very small like a Prius,” said Bryant, the son of Vernon and Sandra Bryant. “It has three tires and no doors.”

(To contribute to the cause follow this link. To follow their adventures across India through their blog follow this link. The Winston-Salem State University Archway Magazine article about the trio is included as a PDF at the end of this story)

Bryant, who is the senior associate director of recruitment for Uncommon Schools, and his friends are graduates of Winston-Salem State University and have joined the race to raise money for the two charities.

They leave the United States on March 31 and should be in India on April 1. Their fundraising goal is $5,000 to split evenly between the two charities. “We've paid the registration and have received financial donations from different companies. We have about $3,000 left to raise. We're ramping up marketing.”

Aside from the charitable aspect of the ride, Bryant sees the event as the adventure it is. “It's the distance from Maine to Miami. It will take us two weeks. The rickshaw is very slow and prone to breakdowns. It's like a glorified lawn mower.”

The ride is expected to take the trio through all types of terrain — dusty roads, rural open areas and up mountainous regions. “We'll meet all the other drivers, take videos along the way and will be updating our daily blog.”

Cool Earth raises awareness about rainforest destruction while the BRKTHRU Foundation raises awareness of mental health issues.

This will be Bryant's first trip out of the country and he knows it will not be two weeks at a spa. “It'll be a very organic experience.”