Last month’s Ride to Remember bicycle ride, with over 150 riders, generated approximately $3,000 for the Bluffton Pedestrian and Bike Pathway project.

That total was announced at this year’s Aug. 22 wrap-up meeting of the ride planning committee.

This year’s ride increased in riders and amount donated as last year’s first-ever ride had 101 participants, generating approximately $1,600 to the pathway project.

Richard Ramseyer of the Bluffton Lions Foundation, sponsor of the event, said that the enthusiasm from riders and the community is growing and that next year’s ride, should be even larger.

While the ride attracts mainly northwestern Ohio bikers, this year’s participants were also from Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

And, participants ranged in age from 4 to 80 with the average biker’s age at 49. Nearly 100 of this year’s 150 riders were men and 50 were women.

One of the ride’s features provides participants with downtown Bluffton restaurants coupons. The coupons, worth $8 per meal, generate traffic to downtown.

Among comments bikers provided in a feedback form about this year's ride include: “Great ride…great time…thanks so much!...well done…lunch was wonderful…rest stop snacks were very good…very nice people manning the stops…loved the riddles on the route…great route choices…good course.”

Sponsors of Ride to Remember are the Bluffton Lions Foundation, Inc., in cooperation Bluffton Family Recreation, CG Pro Bikes, Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce and Hancock County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Bluffton’s ride includes riding loops from 2 miles all the way to over 100 miles. With the variety of route lengths, participants range from families looking for a great biking experience, to recreational riders and serious riders.

The committee set next year’s event for Saturday, July 8, 2017. The committee will start planning next year's event in January. Volunteers are welcome to assist in the event's planning. Persons interested may contact Fred Steiner at [email protected].

Ride to Remember background

The idea for a Bluffton bicycle event took hold three years ago when Bill Triplett, Bluffton native now of suburban Chicago, son of the late Ropp and Mary Em Triplett, proposed the idea of a bike ride to several Bluffton organizations. His parents helped launch Bluffton's first pedestrian and bicycle path.