Cyclists Raising Money for Autism to End in Newport on Friday
The Bike to the Beach event, sponsored by Patch, will take cyclists from Boston to Canton to Newport, Rhode Island in an effort to raise funds for Autism Speaks.
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This Friday, a wave of cyclists will pass through the streets of Newport as they make their way toward raising awareness about autism.
Participants will be riding in the Bike to the Beach event, a 100-mile ride aimed at raising funds for autism research. The event kicks off Friday, Aug. 31, in Boston and ends in Newport to benefit Autism Speaks.
Riders took to the starting line at 4:30 a.m. Friday. It is the first time the ride is taking place in New England, following successful rides in Washington, D.C. and New York City. The NYC ride took cyclists from downtown Manhatten to Westhampton Beach.
The New England route, likewise, will take cyclists through Canton, Stoughton, Easton, Milton, Boston, Warren, Bristol, Portsmouth and eventually finish in Newport.
The ride was launched in 2010, with 25 riders participating and is modeled after a similar bike charity event that has been held since 2007 in Washington, D.C. Last year, there were 65 riders and $70,000 was raised. So far, the event has raised $50,000 for Autism charity.
Funds raised benefit Autism Speaks, which helps educate and raise awareness about autism. The program has become the nation’s largest autism science and advocacy organization, dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families.
To donate, visit the Bike-to-the-Beach website.
Bari George
6:57 am on Friday, August 31, 2012
Good luck cyclists! Join Bike Newport and the Bike to the Beach cyclists on a group ride of Ocean Drive tomorrow, Saturday, 9/1. Meet at Touro Park at 2:30pm (Bellevue at Pelham). Followed by refreshments and camaraderie at the Canfield House on Memorial. (more info and signup for ride alerts at bikenewportri.org)
Nellie Sabin
12:08 am on Monday, September 3, 2012
This was a wonderful thing to do and I applaud everyone who supports autism research. However, Autism Speaks is a controversial organization that spends enormous amounts of money on administrative salaries. Before you donate, read up on other organizations that spend a higher percentage of their budgets on autism.