Time for another awesome Wheel Brothers Ride Interview! We were lucky enough to grab a quick interview with Rob Scichili, the Marketing Director for the ride. He gave us the scoop on this long running, awesome ride on June 14th, out in McKinney, TX. Check it out!
Why join your ride?
The Collin Classic is a quality ride that offers something for both the serious cyclist and the weekend rider. With four different routes of 22 to 64 miles, we strive to provide riders with an exceptional experience, that supports an exceptional cause.
How long has your ride been around?
The ride has been around for 23 years now, but this is only the second year to be managed by us.
What was the motivation behind starting the ride and who benefits from it?
The original motivation 23 years ago came from the many North Texans who cycle and decided to start up the Collin Classic as an annual ride. City House is the sole beneficiary of the Collin Classic and is one of our primary fundraisers. City House has been around for over 25 years, helping and sheltering at-risk youth in Collin County due to abuse, neglect and homelessness.
How have they been able to utilize funds in the past?
The proceeds from the ride now support our programs at City House – an emergency youth shelter and our transitional living program for homeless teens and young adults.
Logistically can you give us an idea of how many volunteers, finances and planning it takes to put on this event?
We utilize more than 400 volunteers and we put many hours into the planning, looking at every detail from parking to break points to Riders Village – our post-event hospitality area. We’ve invested back into the ride each year and plan on continuing to grow it.
Do you have a map of the start facility showing registration, parking, all toilets, water/snacks, start line?
We have maps of all four routes for the Collin Classic on the web site (CollinClassic.org), complete with break point locations. The start and finish line is located at McKinney North High School.
What is the most rewarding experience of hosting this event?
Teresa Keenan is executive director of City House and ride director for the Collin Classic. An avid cyclist, she has been able to join two passions together.
What is the average number of participants?
2,300
What can folks do to support you and your mission?
There are many ways to help, the simplest of which is come ride in the event and promote it to other riders or even form a team to raise money for us. We are always looking for ride volunteers.
Do you ride, and if so, what kind of bicycle do you have?
Teresa Keenan is an avid cyclist. She rides a Specialized S-Works Ruby. Teresa has completed 12 Century Bike Rides.
Anything else you’d like to tell folks about this ride?
We’re raffling off a GIANT Propel SL 0 bicycle as part of the ride, with all proceeds benefiting City House. Valued at close to $11,000, we are only selling 750 raffle tickets at $50 per. People do not need ride in the Collin Classic to buy a raffle ticket. Full information is at CollinClassic.org
CLICK HERE – For more information on the Collin Classic!
And don’t forget to register! Hope to see you all there!