LOCAL

Cyclists bike across Florida to raise money to feed hungry kids

Annika Hammerschlag
Annika.Hammerschlag@naplesnews.com; 239-213-6066
James Guzi, 72, leads a group of riders on Day One of the Pan-Florida Challenge on March 11, 2017. More than 100 participants rode from Fort Myers to Fort Pierce over two days to raise money to feed hungry kids in Florida.

Six years ago, part-time Naples resident Laraine Bergmann, 67, couldn’t walk. A genetic disorder caused the disks in her back to disintegrate, but after intensive surgery and a six-month recovery, she was up and walking. And spinning. And doing yoga. And now, biking.

On Saturday Bergmann, a former special education teacher, was one of more than 100 cyclists who set out on a two-day, 190-mile ride across Florida to raise money for hungry children.

“I was appalled at the amount of hunger just in our backyard. When I heard about it, it just touched me,” she said. “It’s so easy to make a difference. You don’t have to cycle 190 miles, which I’m just thrilled that I was able to do. You can just volunteer, you just help, you tell other people. You can change lives.”

In Collier County, about 65 percent of public school students qualify for free and reduced lunch. The nonprofit organizing the ride, the Pan-Florida Challenge for Hungry Kids, was founded to help feed affected children over the weekends.

Large bags of food are distributed to about 650 Collier children in 10 elementary schools each Friday afternoon. The bags contain items such as chocolate milk, fruit cups, pasta and chili. Many children receive an extra bag to feed their families, too.

Laraine Bergmann, 67, makes her way up a hill at around mile 85 of 190 on day one of the Pan-Florida Challenge on March 11, 2017. More than 100 participants rode from Fort Myers to Fort Pierce over two days to raise money to feed hungry kids in Florida.

But Collier children aren’t the only ones benefiting. The organization feeds more than 2,500 children in eight Florida counties, including Collier, Glades, Hendry, Highlands, Lee, Okeechobee, Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties.

Carlos Molina, 8, a second-grader at Avalon Elementary, has been receiving food from the organization for the last year.

“There’s no food in the refrigerator that we keep. It’s just old drinks,” he said. “Sometimes I get really hungry. It kind of feels like I have a tummy ache.”

Avalon fifth-grader Haylee Wilson, 11, is another beneficiary of the program. She said the extra food has made a huge difference in her life.

“When I didn’t have food, I stayed hungry. I was scared. I didn’t know what to do,” she said. “I’m really thankful for the people who are doing (the ride). It helps me, and it helps other people, too.”

The riders made up only a fraction of the effort — hundreds of volunteers came out to help along the way. Dozens of support cars tended to flat tires and cheered on riders with cow bells. Volunteers from the counties where hungry children are benefiting from Pan-Florida Challenge funds helped set up water stops about every 20 miles with Gatorade, snacks and sunscreen.

Each Pan-Florida rider has until May 5 to raise at least $1,500. As of March 12, $210,000 had been raised. All funds go directly to feeding hungry children — operational costs are covered by business sponsorships and grants.

Many riders have surpassed the minimum, including Bergmann. She’s raised $2,000 and expects to surpass the $4,500 she reached last year. Waterside Builders Inc. owner Mike Assaad has raised $35,000 thus far, the most out of all the riders. He expects to reach $50,000 by the deadline.

Assaad attributes his fundraising success to an email he sent out to his contacts containing an “emotional plea.” He also held a fundraising party.

“It’s something that’s very curable, so I’m doing everything I can to solve the problem,” he said.

Assaad also raised the most funds two years ago and the second most last year. He said the cause struck a chord with him because it hits close to home. At Avalon Elementary, where Carlos and Haylee go to school, more than 90 percent of students qualify for free and reduced lunch. It’s located just 4 miles from Assaad’s office in Old Naples.

Assaad was especially moved when he participated in Avalon’s “principal for a day” event and saw the problem first

“I have kids myself, and I’ve been super fortunate to have a lot of opportunity in my life,” he said. “When you see what those kids go through, it’s hard to watch.”

At 44, Assaad was one of the younger riders. The average rider's age was 50.

James Guzi, 72, was the oldest. Guzi, who has helped distribute food in Collier schools, said the thought of the children’s faces when he hands them their weekend supply helped him get through the last painful miles.

“That’s what it’s all about. It makes you want to cry,” he said.

It was Guzi’s third year participating in the event as a ride leader. The event attracted many other seasoned charity riders, including one man who rode from Naples to Washington, D.C., to raise money for the Shelter for Abused Women & Children, and another who rode across the country to fund cancer research. For several others, the event marked their first attempt at a long-distance ride.

While most of the riders made it across the finish line, a handful dropped out along the way due to cramping and injuries. One man was side-swiped by a car just before reaching LaBelle and was taken to a hospital with a concussion, scrapes and bruises. Ride support staff said the man is in stable condition.

Overall, the ride accomplished what it set out to do: raise money and awareness.

“I’m thrilled with how it went,” said Ed Mullen, founder and CEO of the Pan-Florida Challenge. “We do it because it’s the right thing to do.”

Mullen teared up as he reflected on the cause and the hungry kids he has met along the way.

“It’s really sad,” he said. “We hear all the time about all the bad things and all the bad people in the world, but there are a massive amount of good people doing good stuff like this, and I think there’s a lot more of that in the world.”