2021 Events Generate Over $25,000 for Charities & Nonprofits
By Doug Haney, BikeADK Owner & Founder
It sounds funny, but my favorite emails to send go a lot like this:
Thanks so much for supporting BikeADK.
Don't worry about the shipping cost. I'll pick it up, but please pay it forward to someone who needs a little extra love.
Clip in, be kind & ride on,
doug
For context, sometimes shoppers check the wrong box when buying things from our online store and miss paying for shipping. They realize it when they receive a confirmation email saying they selected "DON'T SHIP - I'll pick it up in Saranac Lake" as their shipping option (which is especially fun when they're located in places like Arizona).
It's a flaw of the platform, but I honestly don't think I'll ever fix it. I love sending those emails.
They're an extension of what BikeADK is all about. Sure, our heart and soul is helping people explore the Adirondacks by bike, but putting on a bike tour - or selling a t-shirt - is way more fun when you can give back to the communities and organizations that make this place so special. It's what we do.
In 2020, I set a goal of generating $10,000 for charities. It was BikeADK's very first year of operation and there was this whole pandemic thing kicking into high gear. It was lofty, but we raised $15,000.
This summer, I was hoping to boost that total to $20,000. But here's what happened.
We, and yes I mean WE, did over $25,000.
- ADK Unite generated $8,000 for area food pantries in May.
- June's Adirondack Women's Weekend kicked cash to Play ADK's effort to build a children's museum in Saranac Lake.
- Ride for the River raised nearly $3,000 for Ausable River Association - in a downpour.
- The Weekender at Paul Smith's College supported the school's Climate Fellowship Program and supported scouting.
- In its 21st year, the Pat Stratton Ride generated $11,000 for area youth programs.
- The all-new Handlebarley hosted a Paradox Brewery featured and raised money for the Penfield Homestead Museum
And on top of that, we operated two Great Camp Sagamore Experience events that introduced dozens of people to the National Historic Landmark while raising money for its education programming.
Not included in these numbers is the cash we generated via retail sales. For example, $5 from every Barkeater t-shirt or mountain bike jersey sold went directly to Barkeater Trails Alliance. Fall flash sales raised $400 for the Adirondack Foothills Trails Alliance and $750 to help the Saranac Lake Innovative Cycling Kids (SLICK) in their effort to build a community pump track.
It feels so good!
But here's the thing. None of this would happen without you. You rode bikes with us. You rocked the jerseys and t-shirts. You kicked in a little extra cash at registration and you told your friends to join a ride or check out the website.
Let's keep it rolling.
Our 2022 event schedule is up. Slap those dates on your calendar and start inviting your friends to join our email list. Registration for each will open in January and those on the list get the early bird dibs and pricing.
Plus, the online store will be re-stocked with new outerwear early next month (wink, wink - Holiday Gift Giving). Double wink, wink - all of last summer's stuff is still on super sale.
And don't forget, we want to help promote your charity ride by adding it to our regional event calendar. Just click here to get yours listed.
Lastly, I have to give a BIG shout out to our partners. Whether it was donated goodness from Dak Bar and Hammer Nutrition, ad space in Adirondack Life Magazine or marketing support from Adirondack Frontier, it all went a long way in helping BikeADK to do good.
Got ideas to do more? I'm all in.
doug
Doug Haney, Owner & Founder
Bike Adirondacks