ACS Bikes for Bright Futures – Supporting the Boys and Girls Club

It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood for some 1,000 bikers who rode to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County on Saturday July 21st. The Boys and Girls Club leads youth development programs by building partnerships that produce positive outcomes for young people, families and the community. Participants had the option of riding 8, 28 or 50 miles – ACS employee, Scott Mills chose the 50-mile route, Matt Rogers and I chose the 28-mile ride, and fellow employee Randy Rozema chose the 8-mile ride.

The overcast morning started in a lovely Fitchburg residential neighborhood, which connected with the Cannonball bike path and wound through country roads. Bikers enjoyed the sights and smells of rural Wisconsin including a bee farm, a lovely well-stocked nursery farm, several state-of-the art equestrian farms, a golf course and charming homes in a rural setting.

The ride was fantastically organized with numerous rest stops stocked with nutritious snacks and words of encouragement from highly energetic volunteers. Before we knew it, we arrived at the 20 mile marker, and came upon a well needed break. There we found many young well-wishers informing us this was the last stop, as the end was near…only 8 miles and two hills to go!!

Lunch awaited us at the finish line giving participants a chance to share stories, aches and pains and excitement for next year. A sense of accomplishment in finishing, as well as contributing financially to the Boys and Girls Club, (they over exceeded their $500,000 goal) made for a great event. We had this to say after the event.

“Working for an organization that promotes community outreach, such as The Boys and Girls Club, makes me proud to be a leader at ACS” says Randy Rozema. “We’re already looking forward to next year’s ride and recruiting more people to participate!”