Redmond Student Nathan Phillips Peddles the West Coast for Uganda

SAN DIEGO, CA (08/11/2011)(readMedia)-- Incoming University of San Diego freshman Nathan Phillips plans to bike to school this summer, a 1,450-trip that will take him from the start of the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail in Astoria, Ore., to San Diego in support of the children of central Africa in northern Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic.

Phillips' trip from Aug. 11 to 25 will benefit Invisible Children, a San Diego-based organization seeking to end the conflict in central Africa and stop the use of children as soldiers. He left Thursday morning, crossing the Astoria Bridge between Washington and Oregon.

Phillips had mentioned to a friend that he wanted to do a big bike ride before school and then realized he could do it in support of a worthwhile cause. Phillips of Redmond, Wash., visited Uganda during high school and worked in an orphanage there. He was also inspired by a presentation by Invisible Children at his high school.

Supporting a nonprofit whose base is in his future home and whose focus is in a country where he has worked is meaningful to Phillips. "I have been to Uganda and personally gotten to know some of the kids affected by the war," he said. "They have scars and burns from soldiers. They have no homes or families. I would do anything to help these kids."

He plans to ride roughly 100 miles per day down the coast. His father, Douglas Phillips, will ride with him for the first 840 miles to San Francisco. There, his new roommate, Kyle Sharp, of Modesto, Calif., will meet him and accompany him for the last 600 miles to San Diego.

Phillips has already raised $,1540 in support of his trip and his goal is to reach $2,000. Checks made out to Invisible Children can be sent to 11015 246th Ave., N.E., Redmond, WA 98053. All donations are tax deductible.

His arrival is set for late in the day on Aug. 25.

"We are very impressed with Nathan's heroic efforts to aid the victims of central Africa's civil war and are excited that he will be bringing his energy and compassion to USD for the next four years," said Pamela Gray Payton, assistant vice president of Public Affairs. "Nathan's passionate commitment to improving the lives of children more than 8,000 miles away resonates with the university's mission to prepare future leaders to change the world for the better. We are delighted to have Nathan as a member of our campus community and wish him a safe journey to campus."

Invisible Children uses film, creativity and social action to end the use of child soldiers by the Lord's Resistance Army and restore LRA-affected communities in central Africa to peace and prosperity. The organization held a conference, "Fourth Estate" at USD earlier this month. Currently, Invisible Children is focused on a Five-Step Plan for Protection and Rehabilitation that includes building a high frequency communication network, funding search and rescue teams and providing rehabilitation and resettlement opportunities.

About the University of San Diego

The University of San Diego is a Catholic institution of higher learning chartered in 1949; the school enrolls some 7,800 undergraduate and graduate students and is known for its commitment to teaching, the liberal arts, the formation of values and community service. The fall 2007 establishment of the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies brings the University's total number of schools and colleges to six. Other academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences and the schools of Business Administration, Leadership and Education Sciences, Law and Nursing and Health Sciences.