The bike ride started with 20 cyclists in its first year and has grown to 2,500 riders. This year the event raised $1.14 million, of which the Delco 476ers contributed nearly $33,000. This annual event has raised more than $12 million for the Families Behind the Badge Children’s Foundation (FBBCF). In addition to individual contributions, the team received tremendous support from its sponsors, including Wolf Disposal, Monroe Energy, Off the Rail, the Delaware County FOP Foundation, and Frank Crinite of Piazza Honda of Springfield, to name a few.
In addition to acting as a team leader, Deputy Laurie Moore was a top finisher, coming in second overall and first among women riders.
After finishing the race, District Attorney Stollsteimer stated “It is an honor to ride with such an incredible team of individuals, each of who is deeply invested in giving back to our community. First responders deserve to know that the community stands behind them, and will look after their families in the event the unthinkable should happen. I am not a biker – I am a dedicated runner – but happy to ride for this great cause and with this great team from Delco.”
Throughout the first 20 years of the Ben to the Shore Bike Tour, money raised went to a variety of worthy causes in the community. In 2007, after several Philadelphia Police Officers were killed in the line of duty, the organization made a change in the focus of its funding by putting a greater emphasis on supporting families of our fallen officers. Today, the FBBCF focuses on supporting the families of fallen and critically injured first responders and putting on programs that cultivate positive relationships and interactions between police officers and the children in the communities they serve.
To maximize the support given to first responders, the FBBCF provides an immediate grant of $5,000 directly to the families of first responders severely injured or killed in the line of duty. The FBBCF then works closely with other organizations that exist to continuously support these families such as Philadelphia Police Survivors Fund, South Jersey FOP Lodge 56, Montgomery, Bucks and Delaware County Heroes Scholarship Funds.
The 65-mile route starts at 6th and Race Streets in Center City Philadelphia and ends at the Showboat in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
A complete list of this year’s sponsors:
- Monroe Energy
- Off the Rail
- Frank Crinite of Piazza Honda of Springfield
- Wolf Disposal
- Bella Materials
- Caramanico & Sons Inc.
- Delaware County FOP Foundation
- ProTree Services
- Team Toyota of Glen Mills
- Selling Delco-The Mike Mulholland Team
- E.J. Hosbach Mechanical Contractors LLC
