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Pedal 100 Miles and Never Leave the Pier

By Alysia Gray Painter

One true statement about piers and things with wheels? They go way back.

Back to the invention of the boardwalk but probably even before then. Why? Because people like spinning through a beach-adjacent breeze. Science doesn’t even need to test that theory. Let’s call it simple fact.

But what of a mode of transport that is a) on a pier but b) doesn’t actually move? Either that’s a Ferris wheel or roller coaster or you’re at Pedal on the Pier, the annual multi-bike, multi-rider, multi-mile fundraiser for the Harold Robinson Foundation.

Pedal on the Pier will roll for 100 miles — roll in place, rather — on Sunday, June 2.Some 400  riders’ll take over the pedaling duties, while hundreds of non-riding attendees will gather to provide entertainment, music, and take over the general cheering-on duties.

How long will this take? Around five hours. How much money is Pedal on the Pier attempting to raise? Five hundred thousand dollars.

That half million dollars will go toward providing “underprivileged children free, year-round camp retreats where they experience nature and participate in diverse recreational programs designed to strengthen confidence and independence, build character and develop leadership skills.”

Want to register as a rider and raise funds? You can. Want to go and cheer people on? You can. Want to donate from right where you are? You can do that, too.

It’s rare to see a moving conveyance on the pier that isn’t technically moving, but, yep, if we were to say the whole day is moving, what with people coming together to raise money for something important, well. It would be hard to disagree with that sentiment.