Freedom Bikes for Teens
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Jeff Ward's third annual TillsonBURN endurance ride gained some traction this year.
"It's a little bike ride that I put together," said Ward, who organized two TillsonBURN rides on Good Friday – a 100-km road-and-trail route and 50-plus km route in the Tillsonburg area on March 25.
"People came from all over," said Ward, estimating they had about 100 cyclists this year.
"It started out just as a ride for friends and friends really liked it. And from friends, some more people came. So this year we had quite a few people. It was just a fantastic day.
"It's a real endurance ride," said Ward. "It's a really tough ride and I made it to be that for the simple reason that I think we need to be challenged. At the end of it, you just have that much more of an appreciation for what you've accomplished."
With attendance growing so much, he decided to accept donations this year for a special project he had in mind. His planned to purchase and donate bikes to two deserving local teens.
"I'm going to call it 'Freedom Bikes for Teens.' To get something for a deserving teen, to me is something that is really close to my heart."
Ward contacted Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Ingersoll, Tillsonburg and Area and a pair of Raleigh bikes, valued about $500 each, were presented at Indigo Lounge Monday afternoon. Dylan Taylor received a hybrid bike and Kierra Plunkett a mountain bike.
TillsonBURN sponsor Outspokin Cycles (London) contributed toward the bikes, getting support from Raleigh, as well as donating helmets, locks and lights.
"They (Outspokin) are a huge, huge part of this," said Ward. "Tara (Mott) worked her guts out in contacting Raleigh and working back and forth. And (Raleigh) treated us well.
"That was important to me. People said to me, 'why don't you go to a department store?' But it's not the same kind of bike. And you won't the same service."
The most important thing, said Ward, is that the teens deserve the bikes.
"They had to meet certain criteria and they met that criteria. I know that they're very genuine kids and they're working hard for it.
"When we work toward something, when we focus on doing good things in our life, good things are possible. I was one of those teens who had a pretty tough go in life. The fact is that we're not forgotten. If we're willing to put one foot in front of the other, we can do whatever we want to do in our lives. For me, my bike was my freedom. My bike was how I escaped everything.
"Now, here I am as an adult and I've absolutely fallen in love with biking. It's almost as if I've rediscovered that part of myself. When I'm out there doing those endurance rides and endurance races, I kind of push beyond my limit. I've discovered that within myself... that I'm able to accomplish many great things."
TillsonBURN will be back in 2017, once again on Good Friday (April 14).
"I picked Good Friday because it always moves around and the weather is always an element. And the simple fact that most of my friends were off work and a lot of people could make it."