July 27, 2018 (Dallas, TX) – On Thursday, July 18, Pat and Emmitt Smith joined with friends, sponsors and cycling enthusiasts to celebrate the upcoming third Annual Emmitt Smith Gran Fondo charity cycling ride. This year’s ride will take place on Saturday, September 22 leaving from the Rough Riders Stadium in Frisco, TX. The Gran Fondo courses are designed to accommodate the most avid of cyclists to the casual weekend rider. There are five routes to choose from: a 100-mile Gran Fondo with a winner take all purse of $10,000, along with the Medio Fondo (100K), Piccolo Fondo (45-mile), Ride 22 (22-mile) and a family fondo.Participants and their families will want to stay after the ride to enjoy a post-race party complete with a beer garden and cocktails, entertainment, family activities and an awards ceremony.
Emmitt Smith invited Adrienne Trimble, General Manager of Diversity & Inclusion at Toyota, to the podium where it was announced that Toyota is joining the event as this year’s Presenting Sponsor and as the Official Vehicle Partner for Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities. “At Toyota, we value our community partnerships and strive to work hand in hand with our neighbors to serve others,” said Trimble. “With Pat & Emmitt Smith charities we have built a partnership so that together we are helping support children get scholarships to college, supporting families in a time of need through the Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities’ Back to School program at a time when funds can be tight. Toyota is proud to put our name alongside these two people and their nonprofit.”
Pat Smith then spoke passionately about the mission of Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities saying, “Emmitt and I know that the life that we now live is not just due to our personal talents – but also due to the fact that many others took the time to recognize us, to pour into us, to love us and to share what they had in their world with us. We believe it is our duty to do that for others and are so proud to provide life-changing experiences, mentorship and service opportunities to our TEAM 22 kids and thousands of other children throughout North Texas.” She then brought Taylor Robertson to the podium to talk about her personal experiences as a part of the TEAM 22 program.
Emmitt Smith then excitedly announced the official launch of the Emmitt Smith Gran Fondo gear site where cyclists and fans can purchase official merchandise with funds benefiting the charity. And he ended the night encouraging participants to join TEAM 22, the official fundraising team of the Emmitt Smith Gran Fondo. TEAM 22 is open to all Emmitt Smith Gran Fondo participants and supporters, with incentives based on milestones and top fundraiser status. The minimum entry to be eligible for the incentives is $150 with special prizes awarded to the Top 22 and Top 5 overall fundraisers. The deadline to be eligible for Top fundraiser awards is September 1. Eligible prizes include: TEAM 22 t-shirt, entry into the TEAM 22 tent VIP area with Emmitt Smith, Top 5 TEAM 22 jersey, Free entry for the 2019 event, VIP Parking pass, entry into training rides with Emmitt Smith (Must reach goal by 9/1).
Cycling enthusiasts will be excited to learn that Frankie Andreu, one of the most popular and well-respected names in American professional cycling will be riding in this year’s Gran Fondo. Andreu retired from racing at the end of 2000 after a 12-year professional career. During his racing career he competed in the Tour de France nine times and competed in three Tours of Spain and one Giro d’ Italia. His racing experience not only encompassed Grand Tours, but also included high placed finishes in World Cup events, World Championships, and Spring Classics. He competed in two Olympic Games, 1988 placing 8th, and 1996 placing 4th in Atlanta.
This charity ride will benefit Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities. For more information on the event, route information or to register, visit emmittsmithgranfondo.com.
Current Sponsors Include: Toyota, PlainsCapital Bank, Waste Management, Albertsons/Tom Thumb, Herradura, Andrews, Shell, HKS, Axxess, Cigna, Texas Health Plano, Racing Systems, Run Project, Two Men & A Truck, and Bob Lilly Promotions.Official Service Providers who are helping us build momentum in the cycling community include Richardson Bike Mart, Plano Cycling and Fitness, Dallas Bike Works and Bicycles Plus.
ABOUT PAT & EMMITT SMITH CHARITIES
Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities is committed to providing resources to children to help them see and dream beyond the restrictive opportunities of their environment or the limitations others have placed upon them by supporting high quality programs in North Texas through grants, scholarships and partnership efforts. In this way, their efforts are amplified throughout the community and allow them to impact thousands of children each year. Pat and Emmitt Smith personally mentor a group of high potential, high performing, students from the Dallas area through their flagship program, TEAM 22. In order to nurture their growth into confident young leaders they host unique educational experiences, send them to a leadership camp, pair them with mentors and require that they give back through community service. Now in its 9th year, Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities has raised more than $7.2 million and supported more than 150 charities in North Texas, including 10,000 Dallas ISD students and families through their annual Back to School program and hurricane relief efforts.
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