Noon Rotary Club’s Bike Ride Exceeds Expectations By Raising $5,000!

As a proud member of the Noon Rotary Club of New Tampa — which meets Wednesdays at noon in Mulligan’s Irish Pub, inside the Pebble Creek Golf Club — I am happy to announce that the club’s fourth annual bike rally to benefit U.S. military veterans and first responders on March 25 raised “about $5,000,” according to event chair and local orthodontist Dr. Steven Dau. “Even though we reduced our sponsorship cost (to $100 per sponsor), we had way more riders this year (almost 60) than last (closer to 30), so we actually came out ahead.”

The rally — which is not a race — offered riders a 4-, 18- or 39-mile course, starting from the Chili’s Grill & Bar on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (directly adjacent to the BBD entrance to Flatwoods Wilderness Park), while raising funds to benefit four nonprofit charities that help local veterans, law enforcement and firefighters.

Noon Rotary president Valerie Casey says that during the four years of the event to date, nearly 300 riders have helped this small (only 21 members) Rotary Club raise more than $23,000 to help the club’s selected charities. “We’re small, but we’re mighty,” Valerie says. “If you’re looking for a club where every member truly believes in the Rotary International motto of ‘Service Above Self,’ we should be your club, too. Our members are more like family because we really love and support each other.”

The club also is partnering on an upcoming project with City Council member Luis Viera and the original Rotary Club of New Tampa (which meets Fridays at 7 a.m. at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club) to beautify Tampa Fire Rescue Fire Station No. 20 in Tampa Palms.

Proceeds from this year’s bike rally will benefit four nonprofits — Support the Troops, the Stay in Step Spinal Cord Injury Recovery Center, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue & The Homefront Foundation.

This year’s sponsors included Chili’s, The Little Greek Restaurant, Gentle Care Dentistry (the office of Dr. Tom Frankfurth), Stifel Financial/Mike Wallace, Children’s Dentistry (the office of Dr. Greg Stepanski), State Farm Insurance/Joyce Coleman and the New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News.

For more info about the New Tampa Noon Rotary and its international and local service projects, visit one of our meetings as my guest or search “NewTampaNoonRotary” on Facebook.