As a celebration of their friendship and Planet Earth, Stetson University graduating seniors Tyce Herrman and Francis Sams are taking a 3,757-mile bicycle trip this summer with the “Bike & Build” nonprofit organization that supports affordable housing initiatives.

The Stetson seniors are now raising money for the cause; participants are required to collect at least $4,500 toward affordable housing projects. They’ve also contributed required “sweat equity” to affordable housing projects in Central Florida.

“Francis and I wanted to do something to go out with a bang, and we thought a bicycle trip might be an amazing experience,” said Herrman, 21, an environmental science and philosophy double-major from Verona, Ill. “We’re just both kinda goofy guys, and it’s been a beautiful friendship. We’ll be going to different places in life and wanted to do one last thing together.”

Their team of 30 riders will leave Portsmith, N.H., on June 20 for the 70-day journey across the upper United States and into Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Along the route, they will stop in eight states for pre-planned Build Days where they will volunteer with local affordable housing organizations such as Habitat for Humanity. They will also hold public events to promote the need for and importance of affordable housing.

“We’ll drop our bikes and pick up a hammer,” Herrman said.

Herrman and Sams’ team is one of nine riding for Bike & Build this summer. Over the past eight seasons, the organization has contributed $3.4 million to housing groups to fund projects planned and executed by young adults. Bike & Build’s fundraising goal for summer 2012 is about $600,000.

The Stetson pair got the idea for a philanthropic graduation bicycle trip from fellow Hatter Joshua Stutte, who rode across the United States with Bike & Build shortly after his graduation in 2010.

An environmentalist who’s been active with Stetson Cycles, Hatter Harvest garden and Occupy Stetson, Herrman picked up bike-riding when he started college as a quick way to get around campus. Now he rides his bicycle almost everywhere.

“I can’t even begin to tell you the number of ways cycling is awesome compared to driving,” Herrman said. “And it’s such a good way to build community. Cars keep us separated from one another, and they push us farther and farther apart because they require so much space. My vision is to see everyone on a bike living in healthy and happy communities.”

Sams, 25, a psychology major from Norwich, Vt., who spent summers in DeLand while growing up, has two bicycles and is building another and is commuting five miles to campus daily as part of his training. He has also been active with Stetson Cycles, an organization that repairs bicycles, teaches bike maintenance and helped launch Stetson’s Bike Share program. He is part of Occupy Stetson and is co-president of Global Law Brigades.

“I’ve been riding a bike since I was a little kid, and we’d been talking for a few years about doing a bike trip across the country, said Sams, who plans to attend Stetson College of Law. “This is a celebration of life and our friendship.”

Supporters can donate to the Stetson students’ effort and follow their blogs at: Tyce Herrman; Francis Sams; or donate to their joint account.