Neche / Pembina RRT Helps at The Annual FM Rotary Foundation Event

Bright and early (well actually dark and early), on the morning of Saturday September 9^th, several members of the Rapid Relief team – Neche/Pembina packed up tents, refreshments, and other supplies and embarked on a two-hour trip on I-29 South to Fargo, ND. It was the day of the 5^th Annual FM Rotary Flatlander Ride, a multi-level cross-country cycling marathon that is organized by the Fargo/Moorhead Rotary Club (the local chapter of the global Rotary club) (1) every year for the benefit of people with various diseases, including MS, Diabetes, and Arthritis, to name a few. The funds raised from this particular ride were pledged to two organizations that care for children and adults with Down’s Syndrome; Gigi’s Playhouse, which is an organization that supports individuals with Down’s Syndrome as they go through life, (2) and CHARISM, a neighborhood based program that works to mentor and support children and families around Fargo. (3)

 

Bike Riders Gathered At The Fargo-Moorehead Rotary Event

The first and longest ride at sixty-two miles was scheduled to take off at 8AM: the riders and their bikes assembled at the start line, waited for the signal, and rode off into the damp and windy morning. Next came the forty-five and twenty-two-mile rides, the Family ride and the Rock’n’Roll ride for kids. All in all, there were about one hundred very admirable riders, from toddlers to senior citizens who showed up to battle the grueling crosswinds, cold temperatures, and miles upon miles of empty highway and show their support for those affected by Down’s Syndrome. It was an incredibly inspirational thing to see!

 

A Small Supporter Donning A GiGi’s Playhouse Shirt

There were RRT stops set up all along the route and at the finish line with a few team members at each to make sure the participants were well and healthy and to hand out snacks and water bottles as the riders came through. As each bike and biker rolled back into the park, they were greeted with refreshments, a medal, and many congratulations.

 

Supportive family participation

RRT’s responsibility in the event was to provide refreshments for the riders, as well as to head up traffic control, help put together lunch, and hand out the medals at the end.

 

RRT volunteer handing out refreshments to the riders

It was really, cool to see how the participants struggled through hours of strong crosswinds and hot sun, knowing that they were doing it for the benefit of others. That really made the day!

 

RRT volunteers grilling hamburgers for lunch

 

1. FM Rotary Ride. The Rotary Foundation of Fargo-Moorhead. 2017. www.fmrotaryfoundation.org/fm-rotary-ride-the-flatlander/
2. Why Gigi’s Exists. Gigi’s Playhouse. 2017. www.org/why-gigis-exists
3. Charism. 2015. www.charism.org/about/history/