Cycling for charity is a good way to raise money for worthy causes. There are several approaches to getting started. Common ways of getting involved include joining a local cycling organization that sponsors regular charity events, contacting charities that participate in community fundraisers, and starting your own cycling for charity event by seeking out sponsors locally.
Popular international social websites such as Facebook® have cycling-for-charity pages where it is possible to find upcoming events and sponsors. Many international organizations can also be located online that organize regular cycling for charity events. An example of this is Best Buddies International, founded in 1989 and existing in all 50 US states and in 50 countries around the world. Best Buddies International sponsors cycling events to raise money for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Research organizations dedicated to curing diseases; groups like the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society in the US, with similar MS associations in Canada and Australia, arrange cycling-for-charity events on a frequent basis. Other common diseases and medical conditions, such as heart disease, Parkinson's, and cancer, also have national and international organizations that regularly arrange cycling-for-charity events. Social movement nonprofits also are involved in cycling for charity, based around such issues as poverty and regional disasters, like earthquakes and hurricanes, that spark cycling fundraisers around the globe.
Local community groups are another avenue towards forming a cycling group and sponsoring charity rides and charity races. Bicycle clubs and retailers are often connected to community outreach groups that arrange such events, and are a good source of information on how to get involved in one. Some of these groups go beyond traditional street cycling and sponsor cross country trail courses. Indoor cycling-for-charity events have also become popular in areas where the weather and season or urban environment may not lend itself to outdoor cycling activities.
Arranging your own cycling-for-charity event, either as a group or an individual rider, is also a possibility. Finding ways to publicize the event and gain sponsors can be done through various local or regional cycling clubs, through employers, local churches, and other groups interested in promoting charitable activities. The idea of bicycling for charity is a widespread one that has been used to serve many worthy causes, while at the same time promoting fitness in the riders who get involved.
