The SMART Ride Ends; The Joy Ride Begins

Photo via The Joy Ride FL, Facebook.

First century Roman philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca said, “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” Two thousand years later, those words still ring true with the stories of The SMART Ride and The Joy Ride.

When The SMART Ride ended after 20 years, representatives of the benefitting agencies, minus riders from Key West, created The Joy Ride. The dates, structure, route and other key elements were essentially the same as its progenitor.

They pulled it together in just about a year, and raised $250,000. They have already announced a ride for 2025, but are changing the route to Central Florida between Orlando and Tampa.

-John Hayden