The annual bike ride to Key West happened. It had a new name and new vibes. The fundraising was down.
But, the ride happened. And for this year, that’s the most important thing.
The Joy Ride is the spiritual successor to The SMART Ride, an annual two-day ride that raised about a million dollars a year for HIV/AIDS service organizations throughout Florida.
The benefitting agencies banded together to start a new ride with new goals and new traditions. And they put it all together in about a year.
“It was great. A success on all measures,” said Edward Summers of Pridelines. “We had the right crowd we needed.”
Organizers used the SR’s footprint, but had very little of the infrastructure. The logistics alone are daunting. Add in the name change, recruiting new riders and landing sponsors, and it’s tough. But despite all that, they stayed true to SR’s guiding principle that every dollar raised by riders and crew goes back to the community.
“The ride itself was amazing! It’s hard to explain the feeling,” Broward House’s Jana Jaffe said. “It was just happy. It felt like it was meant to feel; just full of joy.”
This is an example of when the bottom line isn’t the most important part of an event. The Joy Ride’s initial fundraising total is $250,000, about a quarter of what the SR was raising. That’s a stark difference. But it’s also secondary.
“We’re not concerned about the number,” Summers said. “The more important thing is that we were able to put together a ride without the infrastructure.”
Jaffe echoed those sentiments. “We won’t raise very much on this event as we put money in initially. We will possibly break even. But we are okay with that and know it’s just the beginning of something great.”
In the early planning stages in 2024, many thought the new organization would need to skip a year and plan for 2025. But the groups felt it was important to ride this year.
Another factor impacted the bottom line: Key West teams didn’t participate. Team Key West Mile Markers was a prolific fundraising group. They formed their own non-profit and are focusing on the lower keys.
The Joy Ride is also expanding its mission. While HIV/AIDS support is still key, funds can be used for other critical needs including case management, housing, mental health and more.
Jaffe says while all of Broward House’s services are already HIV/AIDS related, the new parameters are still important.
“It allows us to be more creative with the money and use it to do things for our donors and for other ways to raise funds.”
Planning is already underway for next year, and a huge change is coming. The ride will be from Orlando to Tampa. The goal is to attract new riders and show other parts of the state that they are part of the movement.
Besides Broward House and Pridelines the other beneficiaries include Compass in South Florida and Empath Epic and Miracles of Love in Central Florida.
Fundraising for this year’s ride is still open through the end of December. You can donate here.
