Inclusivity and opportunity. Two simple words. Two powerful words. And two words that pretty much sum up the raison d’etre for a not-so-little event called the Venus de Miles, scheduled for Aug. 29 on roads around Boulder this year.
Boulder is filled with cyclists. And they ride all sorts of two-wheeled contraptions. But when it comes to competitive cycling, or hitting the road for 50 miles or so, getting up and rolling on two wheels can be intimidating.
Now in its third year, the Venus de Miles solves that problem. Sure, there’s a serious component to the event, with athletes
and participants being able to opt into a 67-mile journey that takes
you through Jamestown and Lyons. But those who are just out for a good
time can choose from two other routes, a 51-mile ride as well as a
shorter 33-mile course.
“Each
course offers mechanical support, including our infamous menin-drag
crew, medical support, great rest stops featuring gourmet food and
music,” says event founder Teresa Robbins. “And, before you even get on
the saddle, you can sip on Bhakti Chai, Vic’s coffee and have an EVOL
breakfast burrito. Now that’s a great way to start a ride.”
“The
courses can accommodate any ability level,” adds Maria Hennessey,
spokeswoman for the Venus de Miles. “There are three different mileage
options, all of which are very scenic. The goal was to make all routes
beautiful, scenic rides.
Wait, what was that about a mobile melange of male mechanics in drag?
“There
will be 10-20 of them riding the course,” she laughs. “They’re great
mechanics, and a fun addition to the event. They’re all from local bike
shops, and they ride in drag every year.”
Male bike mechanics riding in support while also riding in drag?
Now
that’s something you don’t see every day, and that fact alone should
strongly suggest that the Venus de Miles is not your average cycling
event.
“We wanted
to give women the opportunity to ride with their girlfriends, giggle up
hills and give back to the community, and we wanted to do it in a
totally fresh way,” says Robbins. “Having moved here from the Bay Area, I
was surprised that Boulder didn’t already have its own all-women’s bike
ride. We saw the opportunity to create one focused on the spirit of
sisterhood and charity, with all proceeds benefiting Greenhouse
Scholars, a local nonprofit that offers college scholarships, mentorship
and academic support for high-performing, under-resourced students.”
“This
ride is about the experience,” says Hennessey, adding that “there is
something about women’s events which provide a non-intimidating
environment where women can enjoy who they are without worrying about
anything like competition. There’s a different energy at the Venus de
Miles, and the event gives women a chance to come together in a
pro-women environment; it’s a different experience.”
And
if you’re the kind of lady who likes “experiences” that include live
music, gourmet food and spa treatments, in addition to the opportunity
to get a bit of exercise on a bike, then the Venus is for you. Plus, if
you think that adding in the chance to make a big difference in others’
lives is the icing on the cake, you’ll be very happy to know that those
miles on the road, the gourmet lunch and the facial at the end of the
ride all benefit the Greenhouse Scholars program, and, according to
Robbins, 100 percent of the proceeds go to the charity.
Because
while the Venus is a good time, the event would be just another cycling
“happening” in a region overrun by cyclists, cycling races and cycling
events without the involvement of Greenhouse Scholars. The Venus raises
money in conjunction with Greenhouse Scholars to assist kids who have
academic records that prove they are able to succeed at the highest
levels of intellectual, professional and personal achievement, but don’t
have the family or other support to make their college dreams possible.
These
are kids who will make a difference. Take, for example, Greenhouse
Scholar Adrienne. A Boulder High School graduate, Adrienne currently
attends Spelman College with the assistance of Greenhouse Scholars. An
involved leader in Boulder High’s student government and athletic teams,
Adrienne promoted inclusiveness and combatted racial insensitivities,
including doing work that resulted in doubling the number of students of
color on Boulder High’s student council. Adrienne, whose goal is
working in biomedical engineering and medicine, has already worked at
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, completed an
academic enrichment program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical
School and traveled to Peru to carry out medical humanitarian work.
In
other words, students like Adrienne are the kinds of kids who not only
have made a difference, but will make a difference in the future. These
are the kinds of people that Greenhouse Scholars supports.
“The
individual stories behind each of our scholars is incredible,” says
Robbins. “Many are among the first in their families to go to college
and have faced tremendous hardship in their life. Our program not only
offers them financial support, mentorship and peer-to-peer, professional
and life coaching, it also opens doors for them and enables them to be
the next generation of leaders. Take Caitlin, for example, a junior at
Drake University in Ohio. She’s from the small farming town of Stratton,
in far eastern Colorado. With the support of her Greenhouse Scholars
mentor and our other leadership-training programs, Caitlin has achieved
amazing things, including an internship at Billboard Magazine in L.A.
and the position of editor-in-chief of the Drake University magazine.”
“When
you look at the statistics of low-income and first-generation students,
not many of them go on to higher education,” adds Hennessey. “The goal
of Greenhouse Scholars is to give high-performing kids in that category
the opportunity to go to college and support them with the cost of
education and other expenses. Greenhouse Scholars’ goal is to ensure
they have the funding to succeed.”
Says
Hennessey of the fundraising component of the Venus de Miles ride,
“Fundraising is neither required nor expected of those who participate
in the Venus de Miles, but is hugely appreciated.”
And,
according to Hennessey, the funds raised from both entry fees for
participation as well as riders who take a more activist approach (such
as getting donations for miles ridden or similar initiatives) are
substantial. Last year’s edition of the Venus de Miles raised more than
$60,000. That number is, of course, small compared to the overall needs
of the under-funded students that Greenhouse Scholars supports. But it’s
worth noting that three years ago, in the first year of the event, the
Venus de Miles ride only attracted 800 cyclists. This year, the event
hopes to see more than 2,500 riders. As the event grows, so do the
opportunities that Greenhouse can provide, creating a virtuous circle
that, like the wheel of a bike, rolls into a brighter future.
If
this year’s event has about 2,500 women who ride, a lot of difference
that’s going to make in young lives. It’s also a cause for celebration,
which is exactly what the Venus de Miles is: a rolling, two-wheeled
party that has an impact that reaches far beyond the roads of Boulder.
Respond: letters@boulderweekly.com
YOU CAN DO IT:
Forget
2,500 women, why not have 3,000 or 3,500 women on bikes at this year’s
Venus de Miles? For that to happen, you need to enter and become part of
something wonderful on Aug.
29.
Enter the Venus de Miles today, get involved as a volunteer or support
Greenhouse Scholars by logging onto www.venusdemiles.com.
