Rebecca Gonzalez is an ardent believer in Catholic education. A graduate of Bethlehem Catholic HS and the Jesuit-run University of Scranton, the 24-year-old teaches Mathematics to fifth and sixth graders at Notre Dame School in Bethlehem. Gonzalez values Catholic education so highly that she has launched an ambitious fundraiser to support it.

On June 9, she flew to California, the starting point of a cross-country cycling trip. The ride began the next day in San Diego, and, if all goes according to plan, will end in Annapolis, Md., the week of Aug. 11 She intends to ride an average of 55 miles a day with 10 days set aside to rest.

She will follow the route of Race Across America, an annual cycling event begun in 1982. Several volunteers will take turns providing support by accompanying her in a van. She will be spending many nights at Catholic churches and schools across the country.

Her goal is to raise $20,000, the approximate cost of sending one student to Catholic school from kindergarten through eighth grade. The 3,022-mile ride is called "Coast to Coast for Catholic Schools." All funds raised will go to the Eastern Pennsylvania Scholarship Fund (EPSF), which provides financial aid to students in the Allentown Diocese.

Those interested in making a donation can go to a website Gonzalez has set up: http://www.coasttocoastforcatholicschools.org. The website provides instructions on how to make a contribution.

Gonzalez has also created a scholarship structure for donors, one mile for $10 to $385 for a full day. Sponsors have already funded her flight to San Diego and the cost of the van. The website has links to a Facebook page, a Twitter account, and a video blog on YouTube where Gonzalez will update viewers on her progress.