Last year (2018), Integrated Living Opportunities (ILO) took part in the nation-wide Bike to the Beach (B2B) for the first time. Three ILO riders, Maedi Tanham Carney, Rip Collins and Gerry Dorros each biked an incredible 100 miles, raising over $10,000! ILO volunteers worked very hard fundraising, spreading the word, and manning a rest stop on event day – all ensuring that this event was a success.
This year, on August 2, ILO will be participating in B2B for the second time. We have expanded our riding team to five members, and will once again be hard at work promoting B2B and ILO. We will also be manning a rest stop again, and we need your help!
What is Bike to the Beach?
Bike to the Beach (B2B) is an annual event in which a community made up of individuals, cyclists, local organizations, advocates, philanthropists, corporate companies and national partners all come together to promote cycling, raise funds, and support individuals with autism and developmental disabilities.
B2B began a number of years ago when two friends biked 100+ miles to attend their high school graduation – the route took them from Washington, DC to the Delaware Shore. This tradition between friends grew year after year, until it developed into a philanthropic organization dedicated to making a positive impact on the lives of individuals with autism and disabilities. Since its creation, B2B has raised more than 3 million dollars, biked more than 400,000 miles, and has been hosted in 7 cities.
For more information on Bike to the Beach, please visit their website.
How Can You Help?
There are a number of ways in which you can help support ILO at this event – Fundraise and/or ride, volunteer at the event, or help us to promote B2B and ILO’s participation in the event.
Fundraise/Ride: The main event is a 100-mile bike ride from DC to Dewey Beach, Maryland. There are also options for riders to complete 25- and 50-mile options. At the end, participants can either take the B2B bus back to DC from Dewey Beach (or, stay and spend the weekend celebrating!) Riders are fully supported by B2B, and are provided with fundraising tools, a personal website, and rewards to meeting goals. Each rider must commit to raising $500. If you are considering riding, please contact Maedi, maedi@ilonow.org.
Volunteer at the event: As a Gold Partner, ILO must commit to staffing a rest stop. All supplies and equipment are provided, and it involves showing up early (5:30am) on race day. ILO needs at last 5 volunteers for the rest stop, so please consider helping out – interested individuals can contact Debbie Fickenscher, Debbie.fickenscher@verizon.net.
Help us Promote: A large part of B2B’s mission is growing the community of disability advocates. So, help us spread the word about B2B & ILO – sharing this blog or our posts on social media, help distribute flyers and posters (provided by B2B), and help connect with other partner organizations are all valuable ways to help us get the message out there! If you are interested in supporting ILO through our marketing efforts, please contact Jan (janislynnbrown@verizon.net).
Sponsor an ILO Team Member
Another valuable way that you can support ILO is to donate and help our riders meet their personal fundraising goals. This year, ILO has five members participating in B2B. Please consider donating to these riders to help them meet their personal goals as they raise money for self-advocates in the Washington, DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia areas.
Gerry Dorros (Team Captain): Donate to Gerry
Maedi Tanham Carney (Founder of ILO): Donate to Maedi
Murdoch MacNeil: Donate to Murdoch
Vijay D/Souza: Donate to Vijay
Tom Boeke: Donate to Tom
More information
Bike to the Beach is the premier autism and developmental disability cycling event in the Washington, DC Area. We are here to help you achieve your goals, surpass your personal challenges, to raise funds for our cause. From Century ride veterans to first time fitness challenge riders, all of our riders will enjoy the sunset and sandy beaches in Dewey Beach, DE. If you would like more information, contact ILO (info@ilonow.org).
Thanks so much for your support – we look forward to seeing you on August 2!
