INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Harvest Food AND Outreach Center announced that The Ride to Beat Hunger is continuing to raise funds for the organization’s programs that impact poverty, although the Ride was temporarily interrupted due to a cycling accident.
The original plan was that Team Harvest – comprised of Rev. Scott Alexander of Unitarian Universalist Church of Vero Beach, Rev. Cliff Melvin of Christ by the Sea United Methodist Church and Mike Vincent – would begin their trek by dipping the rear wheel of their bikes into the Pacific Ocean in Costa Mesa, Calif., on April 19.
Melvin and Vincent would ride 841 miles during the first week to Albuquerque, N.M. with Alexander, who would complete the remainder of the 3,457-mile journey on May 21, in Amesbury, Mass.
The three enthusiastic cyclists made it through the first week of their journey safe and sound with Melvin and Vincent returning home on April 26. Unfortunately, Alexander, an experienced cross-country cyclist, was swept up in a gust of wind that caused an accident on April 27. Based on physician’s orders, he returned home to Vero Beach, where he has recovered from his injuries and has since rejoined his riding group in Springfield, Ill., on May 8, to complete the last 13 days of his journey on May 21 as planned.
Harvest has currently reached 50 percent of The Ride To Beat Hunger campaign goal of $50,000 to support its programs that inspire and empower people living in poverty to lift themselves and their families to economic self-sufficiency. The organization will continue to promote fundraising efforts and encourage the community to become “Cheerleader Sponsors” to help the organization in the home stretch of the campaign to reach its $50,000 goal by May 31.
Sponsors include: The Dyer Difference Award current sponsors include Century Ride Sponsors Ralph Alewine, Don and Linda Drinkard, Bunny Frey, St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, Vero Insurance and Warren and Wendy Von Schuch; Wind Up Sponsor Rotary Club of Vero Beach; and Breakaway Sponsors Jay and Judy Anglada, Judith Burke, Roy and Anna Daniels, Wade Fetzer, Joan Glad, Elizabeth Hazard, Ivar and Barbara Larsen, Joyce Levi, Peter Pruitt, Betty Robinson, Melinda Serafin, Woody and Jen Sutton, and Robert Webber.
“Although the Ride has been temporarily interrupted we are continuing to strive to meet our goal in order to provide transformational crisis care, food assistance and education services for the 63,800 people (44 percent) living below the basic survival budget in Indian River County,” said Annabel Robertson, Executive for Harvest Food and Outreach Center of Indian River County. “With over 55 percent of our community’s children receiving subsidized school lunches, poverty doesn’t take a vacation during the summer when children are out of school.”
Plans are currently underway for a Splash Party Celebration sponsored by Dyer Difference Award on May 26, at Waldo’s in Vero Beach from 5 to 7 p.m. to celebrate all of the efforts and successes in addressing the growing problem of hunger and poverty in Indian River County through The Ride to Beat Hunger campaign. The event is open to the public. Admission is free. Donations will be accepted to participate in fun games and for refreshments from the charity bar. A short parade from Jaycee Park down Ocean Drive will precede the event at 5 p.m.
Harvest Food and Outreach Center, founded in 2003 by Austin and Ginny Hunt in Indian River County, provides a holistic, multi-component approach that provides a hand up to those living at or under the 200 percent federal poverty level. Harvest’s mission is to inspire and empower people living in poverty to lift themselves and their families to economic self-sufficiency.
Harvest’s unique model focuses on resource development, resource protection, and resource connection. Harvest’s services include: 1) Education and Employment Opportunity Programs that provides long-term sustainable solutions for those in need to reach self sufficiency, 2) a Hunger Relief Program that includes the Cost Share Grocery Program and 3) a Crisis Center that stabilizes people in crisis through counseling and provides active referrals to services. For information about volunteering, donations and or taking a tour of the Vero Beach campus call (772) 770-0740 or visit harvestfoodoutreach.org.