A solo cycling expedition · 2026 to 2027

Miles for Mental Health.

Twelve months on a bike across 21 countries, raising money to make clinical mental health care more accessible to those who can't afford it. 100% of donations go to the Child Mind Institute's Financial Aid Fund.

See the journey How to donate
21countries
10,000+ miby bike
12 monthson the road
The Journey

Twelve months. Twenty-one countries. One bike.

Departing summer 2026, finishing summer 2027. From Norway down through Western Europe, finishing in Morocco.

The route starts in Oslo, runs south through Scandinavia and the Netherlands, dips into Central Europe (Germany, Czechia, Austria, Slovenia), comes back through Northern Italy and the Alps, and transits the Mediterranean down through Spain, finishing in Morocco.

Along the way I'll be meeting and interviewing pro cyclists, athletes, and mental health practitioners. I'll be producing a few short-form videos and one longer recap video once I finish up.

21
Countries
10,000+ mi
By bike
12 mo
On the road
Where the Money Goes

Direct funding for clinical care families can't afford.

100% of donations route through the Child Mind Institute's Financial Aid Fund. The fund offsets the cost of counseling and clinical care for eligible families at CMI's San Mateo and Midtown Manhattan offices. All gifts are tax-deductible through CMI, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

1 in 5

Kids face mental health challenges

Roughly one in five children experience a mental health condition each year. Many never see a clinician because the family can't afford it.

100%

Goes to clinical care

Funds raised here go to CMI's Financial Aid Fund, which offsets the cost of therapy, counseling, and clinical sessions for eligible families.

★★★★

Vetted recipient

The Child Mind Institute has earned a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, a 98% encompass score, and a perfect 100% score for accountability and finance. Read their Spring 2026 Impact Report.

How the Financial Aid Fund works

This is what your contribution actually does. The Child Mind Institute screens families for financial aid based on income, household size, and individual circumstances. Approved families pay a reduced rate for clinical care to help make life-changing support more accessible. CMI's clinics also use trained graduate interns in some cases to extend access at lower cost.

The Financial Aid Fund offsets the cost of care for eligible patients at CMI's San Mateo and Midtown Manhattan offices. Every dollar raised through this fundraiser goes directly to the Financial Aid Fund.

  • Eligibility based on income, household size, and individual circumstances. Families are screened to determine level of support available.
  • Reduced-rate clinical care. Financial support depending on need.
  • San Mateo and Midtown Manhattan offices. The Financial Aid Fund applies to eligible patients at these two CMI clinics.
  • 100% to the Financial Aid Fund. Donations from this fundraiser are tracked and earmarked for this specific fund.
  • Donor-advised funds and stock donations welcome. CMI's team can field DAF or stock-gift inquiries directly.

Give today, straight to CMI.

A one-time gift is the best way to help. It goes directly to the Child Mind Institute's Financial Aid Fund, funds clinical care for families who can't afford it, and takes two clicks. Every dollar goes to CMI and is 100% tax-deductible.

Donate now to CMI
Prefer to give per mile?

You can also pledge a rate per mile instead of giving now. Nothing is charged today. When the ride finishes in summer 2027 I'll email you the total miles I rode and a donation link, and you give based on your rate. To set it up, email me at [email protected] with your rate.

Read the work

CMI Spring 2026 Impact Report

Where the money actually went last year, in CMI's own words: clinical care, the financial aid fund, school programs, and the new global headquarters. Read it below, open it full-screen, or download it.

Open full screen Download PDF
PDF preview unavailable on this device. Tap to open the report.

About the Child Mind Institute

One of the largest and most respected children's mental health organizations in the country. Founded in 2009 by Dr. Harold Koplewicz. New global headquarters opened in NYC in 2024.

2009
Founded
18,950+
Patients treated, from 45 nations
75%+
Receive free or reduced-cost services
2.5M
Monthly visitors to childmind.org
2.2M+
Children reached through care, evaluations, and in-school support
5
Continents with CMI programs
Facebook 959K+ Instagram 343K+ LinkedIn 65K+ YouTube 58K+ TikTok 56K+ Learn more at childmind.org →
Updates

From the road.

Week by week and month by month, I'll be posting where I am, the people I meet, and photos from along the route. Newest first.

Read the updates →
The Cause

The people behind this work.

The Child Mind Institute has been incredible to work with. They took this seriously from the start, believed a kid on a bike could help fund care for other kids, and have shaped every part of how the fundraiser is built. Working with them has been one of the best parts of putting this together.

Deborah, Meghan, and Katherine were all kind enough to meet with me and walk through this project, and it was great working with them. They're wonderful people who really care about what they do. Deborah is the main contact for the fundraiser, so if you reach out through the contact on the right, you're in good hands.

Want to give through a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) or stock? Reach out to Deborah directly and she'll walk you through it. Same if you want to know more about CMI before deciding to give.

Miles for Mental Health is an independent fundraiser. The Child Mind Institute is the recipient of funds raised through this site. I am not employed by, affiliated with, or otherwise associated with the Child Mind Institute. The interviews I conduct on the road, the posts I share on social media, the content on this blog, and any opinions I express are my own and do not represent the views or positions of the Child Mind Institute.

The CMI team behind this

Deborah is the main contact point for this project.

Deborah Jasso
Annual Fund Manager · Child Mind Institute · San Mateo, CA
[email protected]
Deborah is the right email for any question. Pledging, donating, the Financial Aid Fund, DAFs, stock gifts, anything. She'll loop in the rest of the CMI team if needed.

Follow CMI · 1.9M+ across all platforms

childmind.org → Facebook 959K+ Instagram 343K+ LinkedIn 65K+ YouTube 58K+ TikTok 56K+
About Me

Asher Frankel.

Asher Frankel
Asher Frankel · Bay Area, CA

I'm eighteen, from the Bay Area. I just graduated from The Hotchkiss School, and I've been racing and riding for years. This is one year of my life on a bike, built around a cause I care about.

Mental health care that families can actually afford is something I've thought about for a long time. I've watched people close to me wrestle with it, and seen how often the gap between needing help and getting help is just money. The Child Mind Institute is doing the work I want to support, and this trip is how I'm trying to add to it.

The route, the interviews, and the films all funnel back to one thing: getting more kids in front of a clinician.

If you want to follow along, I'll be posting from the road on Instagram. If you want to host me for a night, sit for an interview, or meet up at any point along my route, the contact info is below.

@asher_frankel [email protected] +1 (415) 672-0620