Cheered on by supporters watching from the deck of Waldo’s Restaurant and the beach, Rev. Scott Alexander of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Rev. Cliff Melvin of Christ by the Sea United Methodist Church and Mike Vincent, a retired firefighter, dipped the front wheels of their bikes into the Atlantic Ocean at the third annual Splash Party. It was a symbolic end to the Ride to Beat Hunger, which began in Costa Mesa, CA more than a month ago to benefit the Harvest Food & Outreach Center.
“I am sweating just riding here with you from the park,” joked Geoff Moore from Treasure and Space Coast Radio, commending the riders on their arduous journey. Moore was one of a small group who had biked with the three cyclists in a small parade from Jaycee Park to the Driftwood Inn.
“We all ask ourselves, ‘How far would we go to end hunger?’ And you are all a testament to just how far you would go,” said Annabel Robertson, Harvest’s executive director, presenting each cyclist with a plaque bearing a photo of the trio on their bikes. “You share a servant’s heart as you work on behalf of your neighbor and the common good. We are so appreciative of what you did and how you put yourself out there.”
Austin Hunt, Harvest’s founder and CEO, praised the cyclists, noting that they had raised more than $60,000 for the organization, which provides food for hungry families, along with vocational education and crisis management in an effort to help raise the needy out of poverty on the Treasure Coast.
“There’s a lot of talk about the issue of poverty and how important it is for us to address this issue, but Scott, Mike and Cliff have taken it from philosophical to stepping up and laying themselves down to make an impact,” said Hunt.
Guests increased donations by purchasing drinks at Waldo’s charity bar and paying for balls in an attempt to tip Hunt, Martin Lavander and Eric Flowers in the Splash Party dunk tank. Waldo’s manager Lee Olsen had the crowd laughing as he offered a $20 bill to bypass the ball lobbing; opting to pound the target with his fist to dunk Flowers, his Dancing with Vero’s Stars competitor, into the water.
Alexander, who has done the difficult ride three times before, was sidelined for a short period this year. After taking a tumble in New Mexico he took a week and a half recuperative hiatus before rejoining the ride in Illinois and finishing in Massachusetts.
“The biking experience was actually pretty incredible,” said Melvin. “We rode in all kinds of weather, from 102 degrees one day and leaving at 34 degrees in the mountains the next day. Scott is an absolute wild man; it was a great fun riding with him.”
The three trained together in Florida for seven months and say their strength came from knowing that what they were doing would help families in Indian River County. Facing aches, strains and blisters as they averaged 150 miles per day, they took turns encouraging each other to cycle through the pain for the final goal.
“On the last day we were forty miles out and I realized I was going to make it to the end. Nothing was going to stop me,” said Vincent. “I had a huge smile on my face because I knew I had made it.”