How do you measure grassroots support for Bluffton's pathway project?
Check out the 4th annual Bluffton Ride to Remember, a fundraiser led by the Bluffton Lions Foundation, supported by Bluffton Family Recreation, and sponsored by 12 additional organizations.
 
More than 30 volunteers are on board for July 14 event. And each volunteer has their own take on what makes the effort worthwhile:
 
• "The volunteers are great fun and hard working."
With some 250 riders choosing routes ranging from 2-112 miles, it's big project with route updates and marking, rest stops, mobile rider support, food and entertainment, showers and swimming, a website and Facebook page, and online registration at ridetoremember.net. 
 
• “To build a sustainable mode of transportation and bring community together.”
Bluffton Pedestrian and Bike Pathway currently has 4 of 10 planned miles built. The pathway has provided improved access to the Riverbend and Parkview subdivisions, Maple Crest, Buckeye and Village Parks, Bluffton University Nature Preserve, and restaurants and businesses on SR 103. In all, Bluffton has over 9 miles of paved, crushed aggregate, mulched and natural trails (Allen County Bike & Pedestrian Pathway Guide https://www.cityhall.lima.oh.us/DocumentCenter/View/3669v).

• “I have ridden more than 40,000 miles on bicycles and I love...the slowing down of life that it brings.”
Several volunteers are avid bike riders who know the appeal of the area’s flat, well-paved roads and the attractions of the countryside. The Ride highlights the Bluffton University Nature Preserve, Schumacher Homestead, and the villages of Ada, Lafayette, Gilboa, Pandora and Rockport.
 
• “Because it's an opportunity to bring hundreds of people to Bluffton.”
The Ride also attracts visitors to the Bluffton’s shops, restaurants, and recreational opportunities, providing an economic benefit to the town. Throughout the cycling season, the village is a popular stop for riders from Lima and Findlay. Bluffton is slated to be on State Bike Route 25, which is planned to serve riders between Cincinnati and Toledo. 

The Bluffton Ride to Remember is also made possible by financial and service support from a growing number local businesses and organizations.

The 2018 sponsors are Ada Icon/Bluffton Icon, Gregory Averesch Ameriprise (Bluffton & Findlay), Bike Crazy LLC, Bluffton News, Bluffton Public Library, Bluffton University, Community Markets, The Dough Hook, Luke's, Mercy Health, Hancock County Convention & Visitors Bureau, PS Web Essentials.

For more information about the Bluffton Ride to Remember, contact Dick Ramseyer at demart@roadrunner.com.