“This is our seventh year, and so far, we’ve gathered $62,000 to give back to the community, mainly to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hamilton,” said Dean Bruewer, who chairs the Great American Bike Rally, along with help from Dave and Stephany Sloneker, who run the operations.
Participants will take part in a cycling adventure along the Great Miami Riverway Trail, up to 22 miles, and donate or sponsor an individual or group. To find out more, and to register, go to greatamericanbikerally.com. The cost to register is $35 for adults and children 12 and younger are free.
“We are looking for more riders and we want people to recognize and experience the beauty of the trail. It’s a gem and you’re going to donate to a cause that is near and dear to our hearts, because if you think about Boys & Girls Clubs, their main objective it is to provide opportunities for these children, who would not otherwise have them,” Bruewer said.
The “Poker Ride” event will start and finish at The Casual Pint, travel through Marcum Park, and run along the Great Miami Riverway trail. Registration begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 13 and the festivities start at 11 a.m. with opening remarks. Plus, there will be more than 30 door prizes from local businesses and $500 in cash awards presented at the conclusion of the ride.
This is the seventh year for the annual Great American Bike Rally.
“Poker Ride” participants will receive three cards at the beginning of the ride, and if they travel to additional spots, they will receive more cards and put together a poker hand to win up to $300.
“The vision is we want to make this into a 50-mile/100-mile ride at some point in the future. The Great Miami Riverway is slated to be extended to Trenton, and that’s supposed to be done by 2027, and when that happens, that will break a bottleneck for us, so we can have people ride all the way to Trenton, Middletown and Dayton, if we want to, and make it a longer ride,” said Bruewer.
The four-mile “Ice Cream Ride” for children goes to Flubs and includes free ice cream and a pizza lunch for Boys & Girls Clubs members. The family-friendly ride was created for riders of all ages. Children should be accompanied by an adult.
Twenty of the children will receive recycled bicycles that they can take home and keep. Bicycle Recycle in Olde West Chester donates the bicycles.
“We make sure that the kids get some good bikes,” Bruewer said. “These kids don’t have all the money in the world, and they are extremely appreciative. You should see them when they ride to Flubs and get free ice cream. It’s quite a sight.”
The rally is in partnership with MetroParks of Butler County, the City of Hamilton and the Hamilton Community Foundation. Proceeds benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hamilton.
“We hope to surpass $70,000 in our efforts, and I’d say we’re already there with our sponsorships, so we will again achieve a threshold that we want to, but I think I’m most excited about the expansion and the support of the Boys & Girls Clubs themselves to make this a very recognized annual event,” said Bruewer.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Hamilton have two locations in the community on Grand Boulevard and East Avenue. The clubs are also active in area elementary schools.
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