Around 100 bicyclists will visit the North Penn area July 15 for the 44th Annual Anchor House Ride for Runaways. The charitable event raises funds for the homeless, abused and runaway youth, and families served by Anchor House — a multifaceted social services agency headquartered in Trenton, NJ.
The annual cycling event is one of the top multi-day charity bike rides by Bicycling magazine.
Dozens of riders — including amateur bike racers and new cycling enthusiasts ranging in ages from 18 to 72 — from New Jersey and other states participate in it every year.
Anchor House was founded in 1978 and serves at-risk and homeless youth and families in central New Jersey. It is part of a nationwide system of runaway shelters. Anchor House offers programs like an emergency shelter for young people ages 8 to 18 years old, a transitional living facility called the Anchorage for high school students, a supervised apartment living program for young adults, a street outreach program for homeless youth, and a variety of counseling programs for at-risk youths and families.
“The Ride for Runaways is a key part of our success,” said Kim McNear, executive director of Anchor House, Inc., in a press release. “The Ride began in 1978 to make the opening of Anchor House possible and it has been a constant source of funding and community-building ever since. Without the Ride for Runaways, we would not have been able to grow our programs to serve a wide range of young people.”
After traveling 70.4 miles from Lancaster, the riders and support crew will arrive at the Holiday Inn in Towamencin on July 15 at 1 p.m. The group will complete its 500-mile journey back to Trenton, NJ, with a 52.1-mile ride home, early the next morning.
“I ride each year because I can combine my love of cycling with a desire to help the most vulnerable people in our community: the young people who come to Anchor House for help,” Laura Carlson, a 10-year Ride for Runaways veteran and co-chairperson of the volunteer committee that organizes the event, said in a press release. “We have a wide range of interests and abilities on the Ride, but we all have one thing in common: we want to help kids.”
For more information on Anchor House, visit www.anchorhousenj.org. The Ride’s website is www.anchorhouseride.org.
