Right Around the River Blog

Ride for Jim Launches From Rocketts Landing

Post Date: 08-21-2012

We love hosting events at Rocketts Landing -- from triathlons to gallery openings to fundraisers. And when we discover an event that combines athletics, community support and good times, we jump at the opportunity to get involved. So, we were honored (and excited) when VCU Massey Cancer Center asked us to host their annual Ride for Jim event, which raises money for medical students to complete cancer research fellowships.

For the past five years, Ride for Jim was a 70-mile trip from Richmond to Yorktown, but its organizers wanted to adapt the event to be open to a wider range of cyclists, including families. According to Development Events Specialist Payton Hardinge, they chose Rocketts Landing to host the ride because of its central location and beautiful riverside setting. And it seems the changes paid off!

Last Sunday, Ride for Jim’s largest-ever crowd gathered here to ride their choice of a 25- or 50-mile course. The 111 cyclists included teams from MCV, VCU, the three medical students who have won cancer research fellowships in previous years and the Richmond community at large. These dedicated riders came out in rainy weather and raised over $25,000 in the process.

After finishing their rides, participants enjoyed an after party on our lawn, complete with door prizes, music and tacos from the Boka truck. Plus, Ride for Jim organizers recognized the event’s biggest fundraiser, 13-year-old David Griffin Aderhold who raised nearly $4,500, with a Cannondale Synapse 8 2300 bike, courtesy of Carytown Bicycles.

We were proud to host this important event, and we are already looking forward to hosting the 2013 ride. And we’ll be sure to do the “no-rain” dance a little earlier next year!