New mom Hilary Duff and her sister Haylie Duff participated in the “Pedal on the Pier” charity event in Santa Monica, Calif on June 3.
Category: In the Media
Stories about HRF from multiple media outlets both locally in LA and nationwide
One true statement about piers and things with wheels? They go way back.
Back to the invention of the boardwalk but probably even before then. Why? Because people like spinning through a beach-adjacent breeze. Science doesn’t even need to test that theory. Let’s call it simple fact.
But what of a mode of transport that is a) on a pier but b) doesn’t actually move? Either that’s a Ferris wheel or roller coaster or you’re at Pedal on the Pier, the annual multi-bike, multi-rider, multi-mile fundraiser for the Harold Robinson Foundation.
Pedal on the Pier will roll for 100 miles — roll in place, rather — on Sunday, June 2.Some 400 riders’ll take over the pedaling duties, while hundreds of non-riding attendees will gather to provide entertainment, music, and take over the general cheering-on duties.
How long will this take? Around five hours. How much money is Pedal on the Pier attempting to raise? Five hundred thousand dollars.
That half million dollars will go toward providing “underprivileged children free, year-round camp retreats where they experience nature and participate in diverse recreational programs designed to strengthen confidence and independence, build character and develop leadership skills.”
Want to register as a rider and raise funds? You can. Want to go and cheer people on? You can. Want to donate from right where you are? You can do that, too.
It’s rare to see a moving conveyance on the pier that isn’t technically moving, but, yep, if we were to say the whole day is moving, what with people coming together to raise money for something important, well. It would be hard to disagree with that sentiment.
Hi Beach Babes!! Hope you are having a fabulous Saturday :). We finished the 5 Day Slim Down and are off to a photo shoot today. Just wanted to share some pics from last weekend…
By Lori Corbin
LOS ANGELES —
Sweating and cycling for a good cause is the theme for a very physical fundraiser coming up on Sunday at the Santa Monica Pier. It’s the Pedal on the Pier.What looks like a typical cycling class is actually a warm-up for a very long and special ride.
“Hundred bikes, 100 butts, 100 miles — simulated miles,” said John Scarangello, who is supplying bikes for charity and riders for Pedal on the Pier.
“We call it physical philanthropy, because we are going to be literally going for six hours on the Santa Monica Pier, 100 miles, an average of 18 miles an hour,” said Jeff Robinson, Harold Robinson Foundation.
This year, they’ll pedal on the pier. Last year it was New York’s Central Park, and the year before that, it was a 100-mile road tour. Each bike is “bought” for $250 and is responsible for raising $1,500. The goal is to raise a half-million dollars to send about 1,000 inner-city kids to Canyon Creek Retreat Center, a camp about an hour outside of Los Angeles.
“I know that they’re going to get out of their normal environments, which are sometimes desperate, and get out,” said Scarangello. “It could be a life-changing event for some of these kids.”
“So 90 percent of the kids have never even swam before,” said Robinson. “They see the grass on the fields and they just roll on the grass before we start anything.”
Full-time philanthropist Jeff Robinson was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease six years ago. He takes pride in the physical effort as well as its rewards.
“I am on the meds, I work out, I take good care of myself, but working with kids has been my life’s work and it’s really been the best medicine I can take because I love what I do,” said Robinson.
So if you want to give it a go or simply watch others spin their wheels, you want to be at the Santa Monica Pier on Sunday for the 10 a.m. registration, and the cycling starts at 11. And remember it’s the pier, so bring sunscreen.
