About 30 riders took off for a 30-mile ride through historic Chester County on Sept. 19, to raise funds for the Honey Brook Food Pantry.
Glen Emery, Committee Chair, said he and Donna Horvath from Honey Brook Golf Club and Honey Brook Community Partnership talked about forming a committee of local people to hold a bike ride on Harmony Day to raise money to help fund the local food pantry.
“It wasn’t long before the idea caught fire and a committee that includes Donna Horvath, Dennis DiMarco, Dick Antonson, and Dot and Rick VonGerbig came together with the idea of making this an annual event,” he said.
They set up three categories with all rides commencing at James A. Umble Memorial Park. First start was a 30-mile ride through the countryside starting at 9 a.m., followed by a 5-mile ride at 10 a.m., and a free one-mile mini ride through the park at 11 a.m.
The hit of the day was little Matthan York, 5, who had just moved to the local area three weeks ago from New York. He came with his mother Tabitha York and his two younger brothers, Marcus 3, (alias Ninja because he disappears) and his 10 month old brother Miles.
Matthan rode on his 2 wheeler, his mother riding her bike with the two smaller children strapped in an attached car riding along. Nathan was swooping through the park roads, a fast little guy. His father is Pastor Matthew York, the new pastor at Faith Alliance Church in Glenmoore who started his local ministry on Sept. 2.
Matthan’s goal for the summer was to learn to ride a bike and tie his shoes.
“He learned to ride his bike in one afternoon and he is still working on tying his shoes,” said Tabitha.
When Matthan spied the sign hanging up in Honey Brook about the ride, he asked is Mother what that was about. She explained that the community was sponsoring a bike ride to raise money for people who don’t have money to buy food and the more money they can get the more food they can get.
“I want to do it!” said Matthan. Children could go free. His Mother told him, “You have $20 from your lemonade stand. Do you want to use some of that money?” she asked.
“I want to give all of it!” He canceled his plans to go play soccer that morning and so it was that Nathan came that day and happily made his donation to Dot VonGerbig at the park for his bike ride.
“How does that make you feel, Matthan?” he was asked.
“I feel really good because it does make the people more survive,” he said.
Dot was beaming when she related the story to others, “After all, that is what it is all about and this little boy knows.”
Paul McGinnis, retired librarian also on the committee, had grown produce for years at the library for the people and told the committee to call Dick because he fixes bikes and this was right up his alley to be on the road to fix flat tires etc. They had all their bases covered.
Early riders were already out on the trail, and Ellsworth and Alice Stokes of Honey Brook were checking in for the 5 mile bike ride. They were telling how happy this made them to be able to participate locally. They go to Good Neighbor Day in Downingtown and each year their runs get bigger and bigger filling the town. He had big dreams for Honey Brook’s ride to grow over the years.
Along came Scott Friedman putting on his helmet and also people from other states; Kevin Patterson and Catherine Parker both from Connecticut accompanied by Jackie Conture from New York.
An interesting trio of teens pulled in on their bikes, Reed Olson from Honey Brook with his friends Ben and Nate Meister of Birdsboro.
Emery summed it up, “It was a great day I’m glad because it is for a great cause. We will learn from this year. I think the food pantry is a good thing. People need the help and we need to help them.”
Included with registrations were free drinks, snacks and ice cream donated by Turkey Hill, along with road support.
Sponsors included Honey Brook Community Partnership; Turkey Hill; Honey Brook Township; Honey Brook Hardware; Just Mom’s Ice Cream; Utz Quality foods; and Coatesville Coke a Cola.