We all know that the COVID pandemic caused a tremendous amount of destruction. It was not just the lives of those who contracted the virus. As a result of the COVID pandemic, the American Diabetes Association decided to end the New England Classic annual fundraising ride. Those of us who were regular riders decided we could not stand for that, and we started our own non-profit and resurrected the ride. There was an interesting side benefit to that sequence of events. Previously, the money raised went into the ADA general fund, but now we are able to direct the funds raised by our ride. Another near casualty of the pandemic was Camp Carefree. Camp Carefree is a summer camp for children with diabetes. By attending that camp, they can learn about how to manage their diabetes, but even more powerful, they learn that they are not alone. They can meet and befriend other children living with the same disease and facing the same challenges. The experience is powerful for these children, giving them hope and a support structure to lean on and learn from. For the last three years, the money raised by the NEC has gone to support Camp Carefree, and has become a vital source of funding that saved the camp from extinction.
This year, I am at it again. For the 18th time, I will be riding through the roads of New England to raise money for this worthy cause. The ride spans 550 or more miles through the White and Green mountains of New Hampshire and Vermont. I am asking again for your support to make the ride a success again. Please consider donating to support me and keep Camp Carefree running. Your donation is full tax deductible, and will make a tremendous difference for hundreds of kids with diabetes.
I boldly ask for a donation of $550 to support every mile I plan to ride, but any amount will make a difference. Thanks again, as usual for anything you can give.
Rowland Mayor
New England Classic Charity Bike Tour 150/550 - 2024
The New England Classic Charity Bike Tour is a multi-day fundraising cycling event that offers two-day and seven-day options starting Saturday, July 13, 2024 in Bedford, Mass. at Middlesex Community College. The 150-mile NEC 150 and 550-mile NEC 550 travel the same route for the first two days. Indoor, air-conditioned accommodations and breakfast and dinner are included with the fundraising minimum of $500 for the NEC 150 and $2,900 for the NEC 550.
The 2024 New England Classic Charity Bike Tour will benefit the American Diabetes Association. Through research, education and advocacy, the ADA pursues its mission to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. More than 30 million Americans live with diabetes.
NEC 150 riders travel the back roads of the Merrimack Valley of Massachusetts into southern New Hampshire and along the seacoast with a destination of Durham, N.H. The Day 2 route takes riders to coastal Maine past beaches, rocky coves and quaint villages. Day 2 ends with dinner and a celebration, then riders take chartered buses back to Bedford while their bicycles are transported there safely.
After sharing the first two days of their route with the NEC 150, NEC 550 riders leave coastal Maine, heading west into the White Mountain region, where the challenge rolls north through Conway and on to the Attitash ski area in Bartlett, N.H. The journey continues Day 4 with a climb up Crawford Notch on the way to Bethlehem and Littleton, N.H., before crossing the Connecticut River into Vermont. After a night in Montpelier, riders pedal the river valleys of the Green Mountains on scenic Route 100 to the Killington area and the welcome comfort of a ski resort. The trek continues through Vermont and then back into the Monadnock region of New Hampshire with an overnight in Keene, N.H. The final leg heads to Central Massachusetts, winding its way to the finish at Middlesex Community College in Bedford, Mass., on Friday, July 19.
The New England Classic Charity Bike Tour (NEC Bike Tour) is organized and operated exclusively for charitable purposes. The purpose of the NEC Bike Tour is to raise funds exclusively for charitable purposes in support of the American Diabetes Association and their summer camp for kids with diabetes, Camp Carefree.