NAPLES, Fla. — May 23, 2019 — Fundraising for the 2019 Pan-Florida Challenge Ride for Hungry Kids in Memory of Robert Sciolino closed out on May 22, bringing in a combination of donations and sponsorships totaling more than $368,000, a new event fundraising record.
When 115 riders set off from North Collier Regional Park their hearts were set on providing regular meals for thousands of chronically hungry Florida children: Mission accomplished!
Shortly after the sun rose on a perfect cycling day in late March, Martina Sciolino led a touching memorial service for her brother Robert, the veteran rider and passionate Pan-Florida Challenge supporter who died tragically in December when struck from behind by a distracted driver as he commuted to work on his bicycle from his home in Cape Coral. A devoted husband and father, Sciolino was a prolific writer and outspoken advocate who encouraged cyclists to assert their legal rights as motor vehicles under Florida law.
Amongst the 200-mile riders was Jean Heuschen, who shared the journey with Sciolino in previous years. Heuschen carried on his bike a small pouch of Robert’s ashes, to be spread on the legendary hill at the end of the day’s ride. The riders snaked through Alva, La Belle and Venus cheered on by local school teachers and volunteers. They finished the long, hot day in Lake Placid, where they enjoyed a nourishing dinner followed by music and a campfire complete with s’mores on the beach.
