As I begin preparing for this years EVERYONE RIDES! Event, I am amazed that this is our 5th year. It started out as a simple idea, have a bike ride and raise some money and buy some bikes for at risk kids. I can’t believe that we have given away over 100 TOP QUALITY bikes! When we first started someone suggested going to the local department store and picking up bikes at 50 bucks a piece. Honestly, we probably could have bought 4 or 5 times as many bikes. As a cyclist it was important to know that the bikes we were giving to these kids were top quality bikes. Bikes that they would be able to ride for years AND be proud of. In the last 5 years we have given away bikes from Specialized, Trek, Giant and more. Many of the kids we have given bikes to are teenagers who have never owned a bike before. When you’re on foot as a kid your world is a 2 mile diameter around your house. With a bike it’s so much wider! Its amazing to see the look on a child’s face when they realize how much bigger their world has gotten.
There is one change that we believe you should all be aware of. For several years we have ran Everyone Rides as a separate non-profit organization. Because of our close relationship with the Boys and Girls club of Lee County, this is no longer necessary. All of the proceeds from our event have been going to the kids at BGLC for the last several years and we have formed a partnership with them. Our event will still be called Everyone Rides however the charity is the Boys and Girls Club of Lee Co. This will free me up from a lot of administrative duties and allow me to focus more attention on putting together a top notch cycling event.
I wanted to take a moment to recognize some of the people who have really helped us over the last 4 years. First off, our primary sponsor, NAPLES CYCLERY. They are always there to help us put things together. Fort Myers Schwinn, who was there from the very first day. Without their assistance I don’t know if the event would have happened. Trike and Bike for all of their support and who never asked for any of the credit. I would also like to thank the Boys and Girls club of Lee County and the Caloosa riders for all of the time they have donated to making this event successful. I would like to thank Coca-Cola for donating the drinks every year. I would also like to thank Crispers and Rivals Sports Bar who always make sure we have plenty to eat.
Most of all I want to thank you. Thank you for making this event important. Thank you for taking the time to help raise funds. Thank you for calling your friends and families and coworkers and telling them you needed a donation to help raise money for kids. Thank you for passing your love of cycling on to others.
See you November 2nd!
Sincerely, Matt McCain Vice President, Naples Cyclery/Gulf Coast Racing
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