The day was perfect for a ride to enjoy the scenery, but the riders that gathered last Saturday, August 20, 1016 are not just there to enjoy the scenery or get their weekly dose of workout. They were there for a meaningful cause. They were participants in the Tour de Menlo.
Attorney Nicholas Heimlich was there with the other participants in the event. He joined the 46-mile route of the event. There are two other routes that the participants could join and all three started at the Menlo-Atherton High School.
The Rotary Club of Menlo Park Foundation and the Almanac are the sponsors for the charity event. The proceeds generated by the Tour de Menlo are set to benefit Rotary scholarships and the Holiday Fund of the Almanac. The Holiday Fund gives out more than $100,000 to various nonprofit organizations in the area each year.
More than 500 people participated in this year’s Tour de Menlo. This is the 14th year of the said event and by all indications, it is still going strong. Aside from the 46-mile route there was the 35-mile and the 65-mile route which attracted participants. All of the three routes offered some hill-climbing which made the ride more interesting for the participants.
For the first time in the long history of the ride, there were celebrity participants which made it even more interesting. Fast Freddie Rodriquez, a former U.S. champion and a veteran of the famous Tour de France was there to lead the participants and to make the ride a bit more fun. Dr. Christine Thorburn also joined the riders; she’s a former Olympian and also a U.S. champion.
The celebrity participants made the whole event more interesting to the participants. They liked the idea of riding with champions.
Organizers say that the event was able to raise more than $40,000. The money raised is supposed to be split evenly between the Rotary Club of Menlo Park Foundation and the Almanac so they can use it to fund their own projects. SBM Fitness, Facebook, Sutter Health and other companies provided additional financial support for the event.
On top of the major ride that was held on August 20, the organizers of Tour de Menlo also held training rides before the main event. The training rides were meant to prepare the participants for the strain of riding in the tour. The training rides were held in Palo Alto, Los Altos, San Mateo, and Redwood City with celebrity riders on the lead.
Attorney Nicholas Heimlich was able to complete the 46-mile route. The Tour de Menlo is just one of the many charity events that he joins each year. For him, participating in those events is a means of giving back to the community. He is looking forward to joining next year’s Tour de Menlo.
Joining an event like the Tour de Menlo is one of the best means of helping out nonprofit organizations. One can have fun while assisting worthy advocacies, not to mention the fact that riding on a bike tour is also an excellent means of exercise.
