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, the need is particularly acute. The new restrictions in government funding and medical research have hit the world of diabetes hard and money is tight. Without the New England Classic, Camp Carefree will likely not survive, so I once again trun to you.
This year, I am at it again. For the 19th 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 - 2025
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 12, 2025 in Billerica, Mass. at Courtyard Marriott. 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 $600 for the NEC 150 and $3,000 for the NEC 550.
The 2025 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.
As Day Three begins, the NEC 550 riders will leave coastal Maine, heading west into the White Mountains region, where the challenge rolls north through Conway and on to the Attitash Grand Summit Resort in Bartlett, New Hampshire.
The journey continues on Day Four with a climb up Crawford Notch on the way to Bethlehem and Littleton, N.H., before turning South at the Connecticut River and riding through the Upper Valley. After a night in West Lebanon, NH, riders cross the river into Vermont and pedal 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 the Courtyard by Marriott in Billerica, Massachusetts, on Friday, July 18.
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.