Bill Walton plans April 25 cycling event

Bill Walton plans April 25 cycling event

Basketball Hall of Famer and San Diego native Bill Walton is teaming up with community leaders and Events.com to host an inter-galactic initiative Bike for Humanity, on Saturday, April 25, from 9 to 11 a.m.

Individuals are encouraged to get out and ride their bikes for up to two hours in an area where they can practice social distancing at a minimum of 6’ 11” in honor of Walton’s true height (at least the last time he was measured). Current CDC guidelines recommend a minimum of six feet of social distancing in an effort to stem the pandemic. It is critical to note that Bike for Humanity is not a group ride and riding clusters are prohibited due to the coronavirus. Interested participants can ride anywhere in the galaxy as long as they are in a location where they can practice social distancing.

One hundred percent of all net proceeds from the event will benefit victims of the recent coronavirus pandemic, along with healthcare professionals who have treated them during this crisis. The proceeds will be distributed among four participating nonprofits, Feeding America (feedingamerica.org), the leading organization in the fight against hunger in the United States; Father Joe’s Villages (my.neighbor.org), one of the largest homeless services providers in San Diego; #GetUsPPE (getusppe.org), an organization that shares information and connects the community to help healthcare providers receive Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); and Champions for Health (championsforhealth.org), a San Diego-based organization whose mission is to improve community health and wellness, access to care for all and support for physicians through engaged volunteerism.

“I love my bike and I love being alive,” said Walton, a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, of his reasons for helping to create this one-of-a-kind event. “These seemingly inseparable aspects of my life are great privileges, privileges that not everybody has, even in the best of times. However, with that privilege comes responsibility, obligation and duty. And with the global health coronavirus crisis changing everything for everybody these days, we are doing something about and for the exacerbated challenges that so many of our communities now face, not the least of which are food and medical care.”

There is no charge to sign-up or participate in Bike for Humanity. However, there are multiple opportunities to donate and become more involved.

Participants who make a $25 contribution will receive a Bike for Humanity medal through the mail. Those who make a $50 contribution will receive a medal and a T-shirt. Participants who pledge $250 will receive the medal and T-shirt, along with a personally-signed “Thank You” photograph card from Walton, and they’ll be entered into an opportunity drawing for exclusive prizes, including Electra bicycles and an all-expenses paid trip to San Diego to ride with Bill. For $5,000, riders will receive a medal and T-shirt, along with an all-expenses paid trip to San Diego to ride with Bill. Details on all the packages are available here: https://events.com/r/en_US/registration/bike-for-humanity-virtual-event-san-diego-april-784115.

It’s important to note that for people who are unable to participate on April 25 for any reason, Bike for Humanity is an ongoing initiative and outdoor enthusiasts should be proud to don their Bike for Humanity T-shirts and medals and get out and safely ride their bicycles when conditions allow.

Events.com is planning a live-stream of the event featuring Walton and other interesting people, however it will air on a delay from 1 to 3 p.m., giving participants plenty of time to get home following the ride to watch.

For more information or to register for Bike for Humanity, visit the event’s official site, https://www.bikeforhumanity.com/.