|
Pan-Florida
Challenge Participants Ride to Feed Hungry Local Kids
|
Naples,
FL – February 2017 / Newsmaker Alert / In just under a month, a group
of cyclists will ride across Florida enduring physical challenges so thousands
of local children will no longer have to endure the silent epidemic of
hunger. On March 11-12, the Pan-Florida
Challenge (PFC) will take these courageous riders on a 180-mile bike
ride journey from Naples to Fort Pierce with a bold event goal of raising
funds in just one weekend to provide millions of meals to feed local elementary
school children. Riders will cycle through seven counties – including Collier,
Lee, Hendry, Glades, Highlands, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie – home to 72,750
hungry children.
PFC
is en route to dramatically reduce the hunger epidemic in children in Florida.
Last year, PFC raised $1.1 million, which enables 2,500 Florida children
to receive PFC
Power Pack™ every Friday throughout this school year. PFC Power
Pack contain 13 kid-friendly, nutritious, shelf-stable meals that exceed
the USDA recommendations for proteins, calories, and carbohydrates for
kids.
The
first day of the ride is 100 miles – from Germain Arena to Lake Placid.
Day 2 starts in Lake Placid and ends 80 miles later in Fort Pierce at Pepper
Park Beachside. Riders can expect water stops every 20 miles, plus overnight
accommodations, and gourmet catered meals. “The best part is the camaraderie
of fellow riders and meeting volunteers and PFC Power Pack Kids
along the way,” says Ed Mullen, Interim Executive Director of the PFC,
“Plus, of course, the bragging rights for completing the epic ride.”
|
|
This
year’s ride is bolstered by a generous $80,000 gift from Founder Ed Mullen
and Board Member Sue Mullen. Ed Mullen shares, “We’re honored to continue
to support PFC and dedicate our gift to the riders who push their physical
limits in order to feed thousands of hungry children.” The ride is also
supported by other individual donors and sponsors including Le Moulin Bakery
& Bistro, Beacon Real Estate Partners, MHK Architecture & Planning,
Waterside Builders, and more.
Naples
ranks fourth highest in income per capita in Florida. But far beyond the
wealthy “McMansions” lies a surprising dichotomy: starving children. It
has been estimated by Feeding America that one in four children in Lee
and Collier Counties and one-third in Hendry County have no idea where
their next meal is coming from. PFC brings awareness and nutritious meals
to what we call “empty refrigerator” kids who go hungry over the weekends.
Sadly, about half of these children are under five. A starving child can’t
focus or learn in the classroom when they return to school on Monday, losing
20% of their school week. PFC set out to solve the problem of what they
call “Lost Mondays” by feeding children through the PFC Power Pack
program.
Riders,
sponsors, and volunteers are encouraged to participate. Visit www.PanFloridaChallenge.org
to register and learn more. Or contact Jeri
Goetz at 239-298-1620.
About
the Pan-Florida Challenge
Naples,
Florida based Pan-Florida
Challenge (PFC) is a 501 (c)(3) charity with a mission to end childhood
hunger across Florida, one meal at a time. Pan-Florida Challenge has raised
$1.1 million over the past year to provide 2.5 million meals for hungry
children through grants, sponsorship, benefactors, and an annual bike ride
event. The funding raised will feed 2,500 elementary school children at
36 schools and aftercare sites all school year long in eight Florida counties:
Palm Beach, Collier, Lee, Hendry, Glades, Highlands, Okeechobee and St.
Lucie. Our pro-prietary PFC
Power Pack™ with 13 meals of kid-friendly and nutritious food items
exceeds the USDA recommendations for calories, carbohydrates, and protein
for elementary aged children over the weekend. The Pan Florida Challenge’s
fundraising activities include the 2017 Pan Florida Challenge Bike Ride
for Hungry Kids. The 2017 PFC ride is a two-day, 180-mile ride across Florida
from Naples to Fort Pierce on March 11-12, 2017. 100% of rider-raised donations
goes to feed hungry kids.
Pan-Florida
Challenge Sponsors
PFC
has benefitted significantly from the generous support of sponsors across
the Naples and Palm Beach business and rider communities as well as national
corporations rallying behind feeding hungry kids including: Founding Sponsor
Beacon Real Estate Partners, MHK Architecture and Planning, Waterside Builders
Inc, Le Moulin Bakery & Bistro, GuidePoint Systems, Walmart, Clive
Daniel Home, Marshalls, US Sugar, Soldavini & Caldwell CPA PA, WAVV
101.1 FM, Capital Wealth Advisors, Farmer & Associates PLLC Attorneys
at Law, Baconfest, North Naples Kiwanis, Quarq, Hendry County Tourist Development
Council, Kelly, Passidomo & Alba, LLP, Domino’s, Trek Bicycle Store,
FineMark National Bank & Trust, D& D Site Services, 7th Avenue
Social Restaurant, Cheffy Passidomo, P.A., Naples Velo, Costco, LaBelle
Downtown Revitalization Corporation, Race Doctor Pro Cycling Service, and
Le Moulin Bakery and Bistro.
Contact:
Pan-Florida
Challenge (PFC)
Jeri
Goetz
239-298-1620
| |
