Shatterproof Charity Rides at JoyRide Cycling Studio

JoyRide Cycling Studio, Fairfield County’s premier fitness boutique dedicated to exceptional indoor cycling and strength training classes, will host a 50-minute fundraising ride to benefit Shatterproof, a national organization committed to protecting our loved ones from addiction to illicit and prescription drugs and alcohol, and ending the stigma and suffering of those affected by this disease. Led by JoyRide co-founder/co-owner Rhodie Lorenz and instructor Alison Vitolo, this special fundraising benefit will be held on Sunday, June 12 at 3 p.m.

“We ride to break the stigma of addiction and we ride to bring us together as a community,” said Lorenz.

In 2012, Mendell, a member of the Clinton Health Matters Initiative, founded Shatterproof to educate, empower and equip families, educators, health care providers, legislators and others to proactively address addiction among children and young adults. Mendell’s son, Brian Mendell, lost his battle with addiction at the age of 25 in 2011. “Addiction is a disease that shatters lives,” said Gary Mendel, the founder of Shatterproof. “In the United States alone, alcohol and other drugs claim more than 135,000 lives every year. That’s 350 people every day, and 15 every hour.”

The minimum donation is $45 per bike and can be paid at the door. All donations will enable Shatterproof to develop and support effective, evidence-based prevention, treatment, rescue and recovery programs and significantly cut the number of those addicted, the number of people who die each year, and the exorbitant costs to society.

The event will also include raffle prizes and food, following the rides. There will also be a dunk tank for riders to have the opportunity to dunk JoyRide instructors. The cost will be $5 for 3 throws. To sign up for the ride, please visit: http://www.joyridestudio.com/westport/events.

This is the second year JoyRide has hosted a fundraising ride for Shatterproof; last year, the studio raised more than $12,000. The studio also organized a team to rappel down a 21-story building in Stamford, Conn., last October. JoyRide has also organized a team to rappel this year on Saturday, October 8. Members of the team have lost people close to them, are themselves recovering addicts or support the cause in order to make changes to this epidemic.