Riding for a “wheelie” good cause…

NEWBERRY — For the 17th year, more than 400 cyclists made stops in Newberry last week for the Alzheimer’s Associations annual Ride to End ALZ event. As part of the three-day event, the ride, which began in Simpsonville, raises funds for research efforts as well as care and support services for those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

“Back in the smaller days we just went to the Hampton Inn, but we outgrew that space so Newberry College was really critical to the growth of this event, graciously opening their dorms for us to lodge our riders, letting us use this space as a finish line and a place to relax and get cool,” said Beth Sulkowski, vice president of communications, Alzheimer’s Association SC Chapter. “It’s a really important part of what makes this ride successful. We are always very happy to arrive on Day 1. This year, we’ve been so lucky with cloud coverage – everyone is actually getting here in record time today – it’s been incredible.”

She said while many riders love the physical challenge of biking the 260 miles, a lot of participants are riding in honor or memory of someone they know or love who has Alzheimer’s or another dementia.

“This is a really special way that they can contribute to the fight. Alzheimer’s and dementia can oftentimes feel helpless. We’re not all researchers. We can’t all be in the labs coming up with the next greatest treatment, but they can get on their bikes and raise some dollars and this year they have already raised over $1.2 million, which is the most we’ve raised this early in the ride so that’s exciting,” Sulkowski said.

The fundraising goal for this year is $1.4 million. In addition to putting the funds towards research efforts, funds will also be used to provide support for families with any type of dementia, which includes support groups, education programs and a 24-hour Helpline available at 800-272-3900.

There were also a number of virtual participants this year, Sulkowski said. This started as a way for volunteers who didn’t want to get on a bike to raise money and has since evolved.

“When COVID happened, we actually could not have a group ride so everyone was virtual. It opened the doors for people to be part of this event even if they’re not hardcore road cyclists. People could jump on their Peloton, the bike at the gym or at home – just getting the miles in however they can. Most of us probably can’t get on a bike and ride 260 miles in one weekend so the virtual option is a great way for people to do it on their own time, but still be part of raising funds,” she said.

With each year, the ride gets bigger and bigger. That, Sulkowski said, is largely due to word of mouth by other participants.

“We have a ton of returning participants – a handful who have done it all 17 years. The pattern we see is someone comes and they have a great time and they bring more people. Those people then bring more people so it’s really word of mouth, based on the experience that they have during the event itself and the community that they’ve formed as they put in miles on the road – hours of conversation and making new friendships, some people have met on the ride and have gotten married.”