Welcome to the Kelly’s Ride

This metric century charity ride is inspired by, and honors the memory of, Kelly Vogdes of Cinnaminson, NJ. We work to improve the lives of impoverished little girls and young women at-risk in in NJ and beyond, by supporting the work of three 501c3 non profit organizations:

• Amigos de Jesus Orphanage and Service Committee
• Robins’ Nest, Inc.
• The Kelly Marie Vogdes Scholarship Fund, Philadelphia University

Kelly’s Ride provides the expert metric rider with a scenic, challenging 65 mile route launching from Johnsons Family Farm on the Corner in Medford, NJ , ending in Ocean City. Kelly’s Ride also provides two alternate routes appreciated by less experienced riders. The 40 miler launches at Francesco’s Restaurant in Cedar Brook, and a 25 miler launches from the George Hess Educational Complex, Mays Landing.

Regardless of your route choice, riders agree…Kelly’s Ride is a great time! . Our rider registration fees are reasonable (beginning at $40 per rider) and we urge each rider to raise at least $100 in sponsorship.

Launching early in the summer cycling season, (the first Saturday in June) the weather is usually great, and our ride is friendly and intimate (approximately 500 riders). Our routes are well marked and supported with medical, SAG and technical professionals.

Our bike shop partners, Bike Tek (Medford), and Peddler’s Shop, (Deptford) assist riders all year long with winter training options and provide last minute bike safety checks at Kelly’s Ride launch locations. Fully stocked refreshment stations are positioned approximately every 15 miles along the way.

Kelly’s Ride is an all-volunteer organization. All proceeds are distributed to our partner agencies. We rely upon the generosity of individuals, families, friends and corporate citizens, who share our vision of shelter, education and nourishment for all little girls in NJ and beyond, to help us fund our mission. And we recruit an army of volunteers to help run the event.

In four years, Kelly’s Ride supporters have helped Amigos de Jesus Orphanage (originally founded for little boys), build a residence for little girls; bring college tuition money to a deserving high school graduate to Philadelphia University; and have contributed to the further development of the Life Links program at Robins’ Nest, Inc., Glassboro. (Life Links welcomes children unable to continue or aging out of NJ Foster Care and helps teens develop independent living skills while attending school or beginning a career.)

Thank you from Kelly’s Ride!

The athletic fields at the Ocean City Civic  Center looked like a river’s delta on Friday night, as Joe Panteone and his crew started assembling seven tents large enough for a circus.  The men were soaked to the bone, and covered in mud!  Preliminary plans to the contrary, the tents were positioned next to and affixed to the fencing around the field, with the hope of preventing them from flying off into the sky like Dorothy and Toto’s house.

But, come 7:30 a.m. on Kelly’s Ride Saturday, the skies had begun to clear, the air felt warmer, and all but a few of the various finger lakes on the field had been reabsorbed into the ground.  Dan Beckett was affixing banners with the help of Mike from Ocean City Parks and Recreation Dept.  and Kelly’s Ride volunteers arrived, including a dozen, bright eyed and bushy tailed children from the Lilley family, a very capable advance team for the Skinny Dick’s Brigade.

In came the Vitaminwater/Smartwater truck, in came the Isgro cannoli, in came boxes and bags of raffle prizes, tee shirts, soft pretzels and Shriver’s salt water taffy.

By 9 a.m. Famous Dave’s was readying BBQ, TD Bank manager Scott Campbell was explaining the affinity program to volunteers, and the 4 massage therapists readied for an onslaught of sore and tired riders to arrive. Team Robins’ Nest support members were spotted in their bright blue team shirts ready to work. Philadelphia University and Amigos de Jesus Orphanage representatives were on post.

Island Grill and Spadafora, flanked Rastelli’s, providing an Ocean City seafood trio who educated and welcomed all visitors that day with a tasty sample of tuna or seaweed salad.

Students and parents from Sacred Heart Elementary School, Mt. Holly arrived to make thank you pendants and cheer in their penpal riders, while the WPVI-TV’s cameraman took video note of it all.

By 10:30 or so, word spread through the volunteer corps that some of the metric riders had already reached the rest stop at Dave & Cynthia Hineline’s home, and were going to arrive at the finish line even faster than last year.  Soon riders of all ages, both genders, were riding down 6th Street and crossing the finish line as the familiar theme of Rocky Balboa, courtesy of DJ Jim Nolan, played in the background.

Once the first few riders crossed the destination line, Kelly’s Ride 2009 soared like a kite in the Ocean City sky, and everyone seemed to celebrate their accomplishments.

TD Green can mean more for Kelly’s Ride 2009!

If you are a TD Bank accountholder, we have a way for you to contribute to Kelly’s Ride 2009 without even opening your wallet!

 Commerce Bank Red has given way to TD Bank Green, but the community affinity program continues seamlessly.  Last year, Kelly’s Ride benefitted from the Commerce Bank affinity program, and you can help us benefit again in 2009 through TD Bank!

How it works:  Throughout the year, TD accountholders, (personal and business accounts, limited to one per household) are invited to call or visit their local TD branch and tell the bank associate you support Kelly’s Ride as part of the bank’s affinity program.   At the end of the year, TD bank will give our organization a donation based on the average balances kept in those accounts. 

The affinity program costs accountholders NOTHING.  All affinity program activity is protected and secure with the  privacy of the accountholder completely protected.
If you are looking to open a new account at TD you can also help Kelly’s Ride by letting your teller or bank representative know that you support us.