We’re surrounded by an incredible circle of support.
You don’t do something like FRONT RANGE FREEDOM TOUR or RICH’S RIDE on your own. Those things happen in communities, and occasionally I shake my head in amazement at the power of a community to follow and accomplish big dreams.
Every big endeavor has corporate sponsors. Those sponsors hope, in the long run, to benefit financially from their association with a cause, person, event, or idea. But that’s certainly not the case for our corporate sponsors, because we’re not a huge foundation with an enormous following. Nobody’s getting wealthy based on their exposure to our audience.
Our sponsors are here because they believe in community, because they caught a vision and wanted to be part of it. They’re here for what they can give, not for what they get.
Richardson Foundation has been with us from the beginning. We wouldn’t be here without them, and we can’t express our gratitude for all they’ve done.
Archie Solsky of Lee’s Cyclery walked up to our table in January and asked how he could help. He and his staff have gone above and beyond to make the FREEDOM TOUR work. It’s easy to see why Lee’s has been Fort Collins’ community bike shop for 50 years.
When some guys from Harvest Farm wanted to join the ride, we needed a sponsor for their costs. Harry Devereaux, Scott Woods, and Home State Bank stepped forward. The brought Bike Fort Collins into the mix and created a true community partnership.
Yancey’s Food Service is another long-time Fort Collins business. Greg Yancey has been a great friend of this dream—we appreciate his generosity and his huge heart.
Julie Ulstrup has an amazing creative eye. She spent an afternoon with us and we saw our dream through new eyes thanks to her skill as a photographer.
And then there’s Amy and Christopher of Cardillo Forensics. They opened their doors less than a month ago, but they understand the long-term value of generosity and community. They understand that they’re part of something bigger than themselves or their business. I’m grateful they chose to step into our circle.
Our sponsors are successful business folks, but they get that life’s bigger than business. They understand the notion of doing well so you can do good. They’ve taken Jesus’ love and reflected it into their communities.
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Our team appears to be taking this notion of training seriously.
The MILES OF LOVE accumulate as we train and remain focused on the kids we want to support.
I’m pleased that we can do this. I sort of wish, though, that I could just hang out with them, maybe kick a soccer ball in the back yard.
This all seems pretty serious at times, and I guess it is. But I want to remember that they’re kids, and what I really want is for them to be able to run and play and laugh and be free and safe.
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