Fifty riders spun their hearts out Saturday for a good cause.
- Riders spin their hearts out for foster kids
- 'Ride It On Home' fundraiser held for Heart Gallery of Tampa
- Event raised $43,000
Soho Cycle in Tampa hosted the second annual “Ride It On Home” fundraiser for the Heart Gallery of Tampa.
"These are kids that are special needs, they are large siblings groups, most of them are teenagers so it’s really hard for the kids to get adopted,” Heart Gallery of Tampa Executive Director Jesse Miller said. “So that’s why events like these are really important to really raise awareness that hey these are kids living right here in our community that need homes."
Each of the riders sponsored a child on the Heart Gallery with the goal of raising awareness and $1,000. That money goes towards keeping the children on the Heart Gallery with professional photographs and social media campaigns.
In total, the group raised $43,000 for the event and participated in a high-voltage 90-minute spin class for the kids Saturday morning. Each sponsor wore a button with a child’s photograph throughout the workout.
Brian and Chris Mace, who have adopted three kids and are in the processes of adopting two more, came to the event.
“[The Heart Gallery has] been amazing through this whole journey and they have been with us and are still with us and they’re great,” Chris Mace said.
For the fundraiser, the couple wanted to support another child on the Heart Gallery.
"We are sponsoring Zach who was on the Heart Gallery when we first started our journey and he’s still there so we are trying to do our part to keep him on the Heart Gallery and find him a home."
Soho Cycle was the victim of a robbery last week, but came together to make sure the event still happened.