In the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, a group of volunteers ignored government safety warnings and crossed the Artibonite River from the Dominican Republic in order to take crucial aid to Port-au-Prince. This modern-day crossing of the Rubicon developed into nonprofit Team Rubicon, which provides disaster relief by pairing first-response teams with the skills of military veterans.
Five years later, the Nepal earthquake prompted a sibling organisation to be set up in the UK. Team Rubicon UK has its inaugural Rome to Rubicon six-day fundraising bike expedition on September 16. Veterans Paul Taylor and Luca Alfatti will lead the cyclists 400km across the Apennines to Italy’s east coast. Entry costs £695 (with flights, plus minimum donation of £2,000) and the proceeds will help fund projects such as healthcare for Syrian refugees in Greece and Ecuadorian earthquake disaster relief.
