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ST. GEORGE — Windswept roads and wild horses greet a Native American pedaling 400 miles on his route to raise money for solar power for families on the Navajo Nation Reservation.
Mylo Fowler set out Monday to ride from the Great Salt Lake in Northern Utah to Coppermine, Arizona, 25 miles south of Page, which he expects to complete Friday. His mission is to raise $50,000 to buy and install solar power for 50 homes of students on the reservation. He hopes to raise enough by autumn so students will have it when they return to school.
"It's incredible how much of a massive impact even a small donation can absolutely make," Fowler said. "I grew up on the reservation without running water or electricity. I know what it's like to do homework under a flashlight or in front of the wood-burning stove."
And sometimes, kids fall behind with homework and education in that situation.
"The pandemic brought those circumstances to the forefront because, with the rest of America, kids just jumped on Zoom for school," he said. "And for a lot of Indigenous kids, that really isn't the case because the internet's not available."
Another concern of homes without electricity is having no refrigeration available. Fowler said it is hard for children to be healthy while growing and developing if they cannot consume healthy foods. To identify which families need some assistance, he works with area schools.
