What an incredible evening! On Wednesday October 14, 2026, the Cycle Oregon community gathered at AVENUE for our 2nd annual First Ride, Big Dreams fundraiser. Between the shared stories, paddle raises, and immense generosity in the room, it was a powerful night celebrating the joy of riding a bicycle and how that personal freedom empowers Oregon kids.
Together, we raised just over $98,000 to expand access to biking for young riders across every corner of Oregon. In the past three years we’ve served more than 22,000 kids at 70+ schools and with momentum from this fundraiser we are certainly about to shift into high gear for even more impact.
“What makes the Cycle Oregon community so special is how generously people show up. Everyone who made that possible is part of our Community of Giving—our COG—the people who keep this movement going. That generosity means more bikes, more first rides and more joy in communities across Oregon.”
— Kari Lyons, Cycle Oregon Development Director
Impact in Action
Beyond the fundraising, the heart of the evening was hearing directly from those impacted by Cycle Oregon’s youth programs. We were joined on stage by Sheridan School District students Isabella, Madison, Lille and their PE teacher, Alex Moore, who has teaches the Jump Start curriculum at their school. Also on stage was Hillsboro School District student Eliza who has attended Cycle Oregon Kids Camp for the past two summers.
Their stories reminded us of the real power behind our programs like Jump Start and Summer Kids Camps:
Joy: For kids, a bike is pure excitement, exploration, and neighborhood fun.
Opportunity & Confidence: For educators, access to bikes builds skills, independence, and self-belief that carry over into the classroom and beyond. Our program is more than just two wheels! Our adaptive bikes/trikes ensure that every child who wants to experience the ride has the opportunity and we are excited to grow the fleet even further.
Community Connection: For families, biking creates stronger connections to local neighborhoods and accessible pathways to thrive.
Heartfelt Thanks to Our Partners & Sponsors
An evening like this only happens with an extraordinary team behind it. A massive thank you to everyone who made this night possible:
Event Sponsors: Empirical Wealth Management, Johnson RV, Stony Cove Lodge, OnPoint Community Credit Union, Tillamook Creamery, Information Alliance, and Metro.
Volunteers!: The heart and soul of Cycle Oregon. You make this community so special, thank you.
Venue & Beverage Hosts: The team at AVENUE for hosting us in such a stunning space, Pinot Vista (Rich & Cody) for donating and pouring wonderful wines, and pFriem Family Brewers for keeping the beer flowing.
Silent Auction & Community Donors: To every local business and individual who donated auction items, volunteered, or raised a paddle—thank you for fueling this movement!
