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The 15th Annual Blood, Sweat and Gears Ride Pulls In $100K for Nonprofits All Over The High Country

By Mark S. Kenna

June 25, 2013.  With over 1,200 riders, Blood, Sweat and Gears (BSG), the annual 50 and 100-mile charity bike ride, raised $100,000 for various nonprofits on Saturday, June 22.

Tonight, BSG Events will be presenting a check for $50,000 to the local chapter of the American Red Cross at Char on Howard Street in Boone, of which $20,000 will be going to the Russell Keene Fund and $30,000 will be going to the Jeremy Dale Fisher Fund.

There will also be a donation of $13,000 distributed to the Blowing Rock, Deep Gap, Todd, Meat Camp, Creston, Cove Creek and Beaver Dam volunteer fire departments; and the Watauga County volunteer rescue squad, Watauga amateur radio club, the Kiwanis club, Boone area cyclists and the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office.

15th-blood-sweat-and-gears-pulls-in-100k-for-non-profits-all-over-the-high-countryThis includes $1,000 dollars, for which was donated to Hunter’s Heroes, and a matching fund for “Be Strong Stay Strong,” the fund set up to help Nicole Gross, a Charlotte woman who was severely injured in the bombing at the Boston Marathon on April 15.

“Part of our philosophy is once you ride BSG you become family,” Scott Nelson, President of BSG Events, Inc. said.  “One of those values is you take care of family.”

Because of the events in Boston on April 15, the BSG board decided to take extra precautions this year when planning the ride. 

On top of everything else, BSG adopted a wish through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, for Bridger Robinson, 12, who has chronic kidney disease and is also autistic. 

Kevin Kimbell the director of business development for the Atlanta Track Club Inc. commented on the organization of the ride and the friendliness of the volunteers.  The Atlanta Track Club, a nonprofit organization like BSG Events, specializes in running events and holds over 30 every year.

This was Kimbell’s first time participating in BSG. He added that it would be something that we will do every year.  Kimbell also talked about the possibility of the Atlanta Track Club and BSG Events partnering up in the future to run an event.

BSG raised about $30,000 more than last year.

“The beauty of it is we’re a 100 percent volunteer organization,” Nelson said. “No body gets paid.”

Nelson added that one of the goals of BSG Events is to get the money that was raised out as fast as possible.  He also mentioned the work of the volunteers on and behind the scenes.  Whether it is a person at a water station or a someone on the board.

“I’ve got nine other board members who support me,” Nelson said.  “The fact that we think all alike makes my job extremely easy.”