Fun friends collecting used bikes for a great cause
The Village Idiots Cycling Club is holding a used bike drive on April 19 from noon until 2 p.m. at the Coldwell Banker Real Estate office parking lot located at 482 W. Happy Canyon Road in Castle Rock. The group has a lot of fun together and is open to new members.
Tracey McCarthy (left) presents Douglas/Elbert Task Force Executive Director Marcella Shadle (right) a check for $2,500 at the Village Idiots’ first official meeting as a non-profit organization.
By Amy Shanahan; photo courtesy of Lesia Rehl
The Village Idiots Cycling Club (VIC2) will be holding a used bike drive on Sunday, April 19 from noon to 2 p.m., and the group is asking the community for donations. Project ReCycle, a Douglas County based non-profit, will refurbish the donated used bikes and provide them to the Douglas/Elbert Task Force for families in need.
The bike drive will take place at the Coldwell Banker Real Estate office parking lot, located at 482 W. Happy Canyon Road in Castle Rock. Coldwell Banker agent Audrey Will, who is sponsoring the event in conjunction with the VIC2, will provide coffee and donuts.
The VIC2 is an active group of residents from Castle Pines who share a love of cycling, socializing and helping those in need. It is the brainchild of Castle Pines Village resident John Rehl, who rode in the Courage Classic bike tour in 1994 in order to help raise money for Children’s Hospital Colorado (CHC). John’s wife Lesia joined him at the Courage Classic in 2003, and they began to recruit neighbors and friends to join as well. In 2007, they officially formed the VIC2 and the group now includes 35 members.
Together, the group has ridden in 20 Courage Classics and raised nearly $200,000 for CHC, and recently the group incorporated as a non-profit organization in order to further their charitable causes. This used bike drive is the first of many charitable events that the VIC2 plans to sponsor.
“The Village Idiots want to enjoy their passion for pedaling, but also want to give back to the community,” said Marcella T. Shadle, executive director of the Task Force. “I am completely overwhelmed at their kindness and was surprised beyond measure that they chose to kick off our relationship with a very generous and unexpected donation! I can’t wait to see what’s next. Together we can do great things.”
The club is excited about the future. “Our goals are to increase club membership to 50 members, provide organized riding events, education and advocacy opportunities, and support worthwhile local charities,” remarked Rehl.
“In 2015, we are organizing regular club training and themed rides during the outdoor riding season, holding social activities for club members and their families, providing clinics and guest speakers on cycling-related topics for our members and the community, and scheduling meaningful volunteer opportunities for our members, “ he said.
For more information on the Village Idiots, visit www.villageidiotscyclingclub.org or contact John Rehl at villageidiotscyclingclub@gmail.com. For more information about the Douglas/Elbert Task Force, visit www.detaskforce.org and for more
information about the Douglas/Elbert Task Force, Project ReCycle, visit www.projectrecycle.org.