Jeremy Powers’ third annual Grand FUNdo set for Saturday
Proceeds benefit J.A.M. Fund to support young cyclists
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Jeremy Powers (Jelly Belly-Kenda) will host the third annual Wheelhouse Grand FUNdo on Saturday July 14 in Southampton, Massachusetts.
This 64-mile, non-competitive group ride through Massachusetts’ Pioneer Valley is a fundraiser for the J.A.M. Fund, a charity founded by Powers and his friends Alec Donahue and Mukunda Feldman to support young cyclists in the Pioneer Valley area. The J.A.M. Fund has chosen to focus on up-and-coming cyclocross riders this year, offering several $500 grants to promising athletes for race entry and other expenses.
Powers and company will announce several grant recipients on Saturday at the event, but more grants are still available. Powers encouraged riders interested in a grant to take part in Saturday’s ride.
“The J.A.M. Fund is something I have an extreme amount of passion for because of the support I had as a junior growing up,” Powers said in a release. “With J.A.M., our goal is to make a difference in the lives of enthusiastic, young up and coming riders.”
Among the riders slated to take part on Saturday are Jelly Belly teammates Emerson Oronte and Brad Huff, and elite cyclocrosser Justin Lindine.
The FUNdo course features difficult, rolling hills and steep paved climbs in addition to a 20-mile dirt road section. No rider will be left behind in the FUNdo, and support staff and mechanics will be available along the course. The route will include several rest stops and even a chance to grab a quick snack at Powers’ father’s ice cream truck stop at mile 32.
For those looking for a longer day in the saddle, the Grand HUNdo event offers 20 additional miles of riding and double the elevation gain of the FUNdo. According to the event’s website, the HUNdo “is not for a beginner or even a weekend warrior” — so be warned.
A pig roast, music and beer await riders at the finish, but the real reward is the chance to win one of Powers’ limited-edition Rapha-Focus Mares cyclocross bikes, worth more than $5,000, in the post-ride raffle.