University at Buffalo - The State University of New York

Published: September 15, 2005

By JESSICA KELTZ
Reporter Contributor

Ask Suzanne Tomkins what she did on her summer vacation, and she'll have an interesting answer for you: She rode her bike across the country.

A combination of factors made this the right year for Tomkins, clinical associate professor in the UB Law School, to make the trip from Washington State to Massachusetts.

Suzanne Tomkins spent the summer cycling across the country to celebrate her 50th birthday and to raise money for the YWCA of Niagara County.
PHOTO: NANCY J. PARISI

"I really enjoy long-distance cycling, and every year I usually do a trip for a week or two," she said. "The idea of going cross-country really appealed to me. Both of my children are older now, so it seemed more the right time of life to do it."

In addition, Tomkins recently turned 50, and the trip seemed a good way to celebrate that milestone. As she explored the possibility of biking across the country, she found that the touring company CycleAmerica offers the option of riding for a charity. As president of the board of directors of the YWCA of Niagara County and the longtime director of the law school's Family Violence Clinic, Tomkins found it easy to choose a beneficiary.

Her ride raised thousands of dollars—she can't say for sure how much because checks are still coming in—for Carolyn's House, a new facility of the YWCA of Niagara County that provides transitional housing for homeless women and their children.

"What made this project unique is that it involved so many of the different clinics at the law school," Tomkins said. The Affordable Housing Clinic helped to secure low income housing tax credit funding for the project. The Community Economic Development Clinic helped it get its 24-hour, seven-days-a-week day care service off the ground. And this fall, the Family Violence Clinic will send a student there to help the women learn about their economic options.

Carolyn's House gets its name from Carolyn Van Schaik, a community activist and attorney. The facility itself, located at 542 Sixth St. in Niagara Falls, used to serve as a residence for student nurses at Niagara University, and before that as a convent for nuns. Tomkins said it stood neglected for 10 years before its current incarnation.

"When I left in June, it was still under construction," she said. "When I first saw it that morning (in August) it was just amazing to me. It's a beautiful facility."

The building includes different sized apartments, including studios for young women aging out of the foster-care system. "I think it will be a good atmosphere for them," Tomkins says, citing the social services and job training that will be available on site.

As it happened, Tomkins' cycling group passed through Niagara Falls on the day of Carolyn's House's ribbon-cutting ceremony in August.

"It was pure serendipity," she laughs. "I was able to route them by Carolyn's House and a lot of them were able to tour the facility," she said. After the tours, Tomkins stayed behind for the ceremony and caught up with her fellow riders farther down the road.

All told, Tomkins rode 4,300 miles over the course of about two months, from June 18 to Aug. 20. She said she averaged 80 miles per day.

The trip began in Seattle, then moved through Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ontario, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine before ending in Gloucester, Mass.

Tomkins said the trip, though challenging, could be undertaken by anyone in good physical condition who had eight weeks to devote to the ride. She said the other riders came from "all walks of life," and many were either teachers or retired. Some riders would travel for a week or two, while others went the entire way. At any given time, about 40 people were riding and the median age was about 55, she said.

The touring company carried their gear and provided the route, meals and a place to camp each night.

"They would try to route us on very rural, scenic roads," Tomkins said. "We really went through some of the most beautiful parts of the country."

Tomkins said she enjoyed getting to know her fellow riders, as well as seeing the country.

"Sharing those physical challenges, and spending so much time with people you didn't even know before the tour—it forms a close bond," she said.