Last year was the fourth Give Hope Ride held at Fishers Heritage Park, organized to benefit the Fishers YMCA. The event raised over $17,000, had more than 200 registrants, and was supported by numerous sponsors and partners including York’s Quality Air, Chick-fil-A, Motion Cycling and Fitness, Unique Home Solutions – Safety Division, Marie Holt, D.D.S. and Vitamin Shoppe, to name a few. This year’s goal is to increase participation and raise $40,000+ in donations. The first community Give Hope Ride in 2013 was the culmination of four previous Memorial Day bike rides hosted by Fishers residents, John and Peg Wright. The Wrights hosted their first bike ride out of their home in 2009. Then in 2010, the couple began using the event to raise donations for St. Jude Research Hospital. Last year, the couple was pleased to have the event benefit the positive programs of the Fishers YMCA, which it will do again in 2016.  

We’re a gym, but we’re not just a gym. We’re a charity, but we’re not just a charity. We’re about families, but we’re also about singles, college students, new couples and empty nesters. Above all, we’re about community. We see a future filled with positive change. And to ensure we’re a driving force behind this, we’ve embraced two very bold and important vision statements: Become one of the country’s ten healthiest communities by 2025. Understanding that a child’s future success is shaped by age three, Indianapolis will be the U.S. model for “zero to three” child development. We know that reaching these goals won’t be easy. But with the support of a thriving community, we’re confident that, together, we can do it. Today, the Fishers YMCA serves more than 35,000 people from every age and walk of life—providing over $700,000 in scholarships, program subsidies and underwritten programs in low-income communities. It’s a big job, but somebody’s got to do it.