It all started with a casual, "Hey, there's a century ride to Sacramento coming up—wanna join?" And, like someone who clearly didn’t ask enough follow-up questions, I said, "Yeah, why not!" (Future me may have some thoughts about this decision, but we’ll cross that finish line when we get there.)
At first, I just saw it as a challenge—110 miles from Oakland to Sacramento, a good excuse to eat a lot of carbs. But then I realized that this ride isn’t just about personal endurance. Since my birthday is this month, and given my deep connections to Oakland through work and friends, it only made sense to turn this into something bigger. And now? I’m fully invested—because I’ve got a little one who’s about to enter the public school system, and suddenly, the state of education funding feels a lot more personal.
Why This Matters
Last year, thanks to Ride 4A Reason, over 6,000 kids in eleven public schools got to:
✅ Go on field trips
✅ Visit their school libraries
✅ Experience the thrill (and occasional terror) of river rafting
✅ Wear real team uniforms instead of just "shirts vaguely the same color"
For many of these kids, these were firsts. And after 17 years of riding and nearly $1.8 million raised, R4R is still working to bridge the gaps where public school funding falls short.
COVID-19 put a spotlight on the deep inequities in our education system, and now that the temporary pandemic funding has dried up, schools are struggling more than ever. These challenges aren’t theoretical—they affect real kids, real teachers, and real families in our communities. And as a soon-to-be public school parent, I feel even more driven to do something about it.
Here’s Where You Come In
I’m aiming to raise $500 by the time I hop on my bike on April 26th. If you can spare $100, $50, or even $10, every dollar goes directly to these schools.
Or, if you’re old-school and prefer checks, you can make it payable to "Social Good Fund" with "R4R 2024" in the memo line and mail it to:
📬 Ride 4A Reason
PO Box 11386
Oakland, CA 94611
Thanks for being awesome. And if you see me limping around on April 27th, just know it was for a great cause.
Cheers,
Tyler
