Falmouth Based Nonprofit to Benefit from Bike-a-thon

Falmouth’s Woods Hole Research Center To Benefit From National Bike-a-thon

Inaugural Climate Ride Northeast-Bar Harbor to Boston, Sept. 17 to 21

Falmouth, Mass. –Woods Hole Research Center is a 2015 Climate Ride beneficiary. The Falmouth-based nonprofit is among more than 100 local, regional and national organizations working to create a more green and sustainable future to benefit from funds raised by cyclists of the inaugural Climate Ride Northeast-Bar Harbor to Boston.

Set for Sept. 17 through Sept. 21, the five-day charitable bike-a-thon, which is fully supported, will take cyclists 320 miles down the scenic coast of Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The event goal is to raise $400,000. Using sport as a means to change lives and build an effective, citizen-based sustainability movement, Climate Ride works to increase awareness and understanding of environmental issues on the health and economic prosperity of Americans.

Unique to Climate Ride, participants have the power to direct funds raised to the beneficiaries of their choice. Beneficiaries are selected for their work on environment, conservation, clean energy, sustainability, climate education, or active transportation advocacy. With organizations benefitting from the money raised, each group can advocate for the environment in their own way on a local level that has a lasting impact.

Currently, only three percent of charitable giving in the U.S. goes to support the environment. Climate Ride is working to change that. Climate Ride was the first bike-a-thon to support environmental causes and cycling advocacy, not only by raising money but also through advocating for government change and educating participants as part of the experience.

“We are thrilled to bring the excitement and impact of Climate Ride to the Northeast with the Bar Harbor to Boston ride,” says Caeli Quinn, Executive Director of Climate Ride. “We’ve heard from so many of our supporters across the U.S. that they’d like to see a Climate Ride event closer to home. These new events will bring riders from around the U.S. to experience the American landscape in the Northeast and increase the impact of our grants program on local communities. We’re putting sustainability first, galvanizing a national network to support these issues, and shining a light on innovative green projects in the Northeast around the world.”

Climate Ride was the first adventure travel nonprofit to raise funds for environmental causes and awareness about the importance of bike safety and advocacy, thus making the connection that an increase in active transportation will reduce carbon emissions that plague the environment. It remains today the largest of its kind in terms of its national scope and money raised with its choose-your-own beneficiary model. To date, Climate Ride has raised and contributed $2.28 million.

Climate Riders commit to raise a minimum of $2,800 by Sept. 11 in order to participate. All participants have the power to direct grants to the beneficiaries of their choice, which they select from Climate Ride’s extensive list of beneficiaries.

For more information, to register to ride or to support a cyclist or team, visit www.climateride.org or call 406-552-0708. Participants can enter the discount code climateride2015 for $25 off their registration fee.