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Eighteen cyclists witH Ace Hardware's sixth annual Tour de Kids Miracles in Motion Charity Bicycle Ride passed through Manteno on Oct. 9 and stopped at Whitmore Ace Hardware. The event benefits Children's Miracle Network hospitals. They began their ride in Oak Brook and were heading to the annual Ace Hardware trade show in Atlanta, Ga. Whitmore Ace Hardware owners, Michael and Cory Cripe, offered support to riders when they passed through. Michael and Cory Cripe paused for a photo with two cyclists. They bikers continued on their ride. Pictured from left are: Cory Cripe, Jean McInerney of Western Springs, Lynne Rine of Glenview (with Glenview Ace Hardware), and Cory Cripe. photo by Tracy Ahrens
Cyclists on charity ride stop at Whitmore Ace Hardware  Share
Braving the cold and steady rain, 18 cyclists passed through Manteno on Oct. 9 and stopped at Whitmore Ace Hardware. The riders were part of Ace Hardware's 6th annual Tour de Kids Miracles in Motion Charity Bicycle Ride benefiting Children's Miracle Network hospitals. Riders stopped at Whitmore Ace Hardware before ending for the evening at Holiday Inn Express in Bourbonnais. They traveled roughly 60 miles on this first day. The next morning they would ride to Lafayette, Ind. Ace Hardware's corporate office asked store owners along the cyclists' route if they would like to offer support as riders passed by. Whitmore Ace Hardware owners Michael and Cory Cripe accepted. The Cripes provided energy drinks, bottled water and power bars. Because of the rainy day, the Cripes also provided beach towels so riders could dry themselves off.
Riders began their journey at 9 a.m. at Ace Hardware's corporate headquarters in Oak Brook and made two stops before arriving in Manteno. Those stops were at an Ace Hardware store in Tinley Park and at the Ace paint plant in Matteson. Riders are making their way to Atlanta, Ga. (on Oct. 20) where an annual Ace Hardware trade show is being held. Each year the Tour de Kids ride is started at the Oak Brook location and ends where the trade show is being held. Riders also stop at several Children's Miracle Network hospitals along the way. This year the cyclists will journey nearly 800 miles, traveling approximately 80 miles per day. The first leg of the tour starts in Oak Brook and ends in Louisville, Ky. There, many riders will stop and others will take over for the second leg of the tour to Atlanta. Five riders will complete all 800 miles this year. One van offering support and cycle repairs rides in front of the cyclists and another one rides behind them. This year's Tour de Kids event has a goal of raising $1 million for Children's Miracle Network hospitals. Donations for this ride help support 17 million sick and injured children treated at 170 Children's Miracle Network-affiliated hospitals. CMN hospitals impact the lives of more children than any other children's organization in the world. There is a CMN hospital dedicated to serving children in every community across the United States and in Canada. The Ace Tour de Kids ride started in 2004 with a group of Ace corporate employees, retailers and vendor partners riding from their headquarters in Oak Brook to St. Louis, the spot of their fall convention. Ace paired with the Cycle America tour company the following year to take riders across the country in nine legs from Seattle to Boston, and with an individual tour director in 2006 to do the same thing just for the Ace group, according to the company's Web site. In 2007, Ace returned to the roots of the ride by riding to the spot of its fall convention, this time in three legs from Oak Brook to Denver, Colo. Last year, cyclists did a ride in one leg to the fall convention in St. Louis. Tracy Ahrens is a reporter for Russell Publications.
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