The second annual
Cincinnati Fondo takes place September 22 when cyclists will come together to ride one of two courses—a 57-mile Fondo or a 114-mile Gran Fondo—along the roads of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky’s countryside to raise money for the
Freestore Foodbank.
For novice cyclist Ramon Rodriguez, who serves as vice president at
Fifth Third Bank and as a board member of the FSFB, the race is a way to enjoy beautiful scenery while also supporting a great cause.
Rodriguez joined the board of the FSFB about six years ago at a time in his life when he says his scope of understanding with regard to the organization’s goals was limited.
“Like many people here in Cincinnati, we see the lines that form in front of our Liberty distribution center, come Christmas and come Thanksgiving, where families go and get their boxes for holiday meals,” Rodriguez says. “But the scope of services and the reach that the Freestore has was something that was totally new to me.”
The organization’s reach is far more apparent to Rodriguez at this point in time, and while he’s inspired by all of the programs offered by the FSFB, he says he has a particular affinity toward the
Power Pack Program.
“These are packages of food that are assembled for the benefit of children that have food insecurity when they come home after school. So, either they pick it up on Friday, and they have food for the weekend, or once there’s longer breaks from school, they’re able to have some form of food security available to them,” Rodriguez says. “And we provide that, and it takes only four dollars to create one power pack for a child every week.”
Registering for the Cincinnati Fondo, Rodriguez says, will provide the funds necessary to help the FSFB with programs like the Power Pack, and in this case, would be enough to provide a child with enough packs for an entire month.
“We have major corporations based here in Cincinnati, but you still see a large number of children that still come home to empty pantries,” Rodriguez says. “That’s been a big driver. I have a 7- and 9-year-old at home, and thinking of them going without—it’s unimaginable.”
Do Good:
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Register for the Cincinnati Fondo.
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Support the Freestore Foodbank by making a donation.
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Volunteer with the Freestore Foodbank.
By Brittany York
Brittany York is a professor of English composition at both the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University. She also edits the For Good section of SoapboxMedia.