The El Tour de Tucson enables nonprofit, charitable agencies to raise funds for their respective organizations. This is done in conjunction with the nonprofit Perimeter Bicycling, whose events have raised more than $100 million for local and international charitable organizations. PACC has been gathering their own team together to ride in what will be their third event, and it promises to be full of fun in the sun with other likeminded animal lovers and outdoor enthusiasts. In 2019, — COVID put the kibosh on the 2020 ride — they had 75 team members who raised more than $25,000 in support of them.
This is a huge event. In fact, El Tour de Tucson is considered one of the premiere cycling events in the nation, with nearly 6,000 bicyclists participating annually in the Tucson ride alone, making it by far the largest cycling event in Arizona. It’s a fantastic way to get some fresh air and exercise, revel in the comradery, and raise money for a cause near and dear to the hearts of many in the tight-knit community of Tucson animal activists.
We spoke with Friends of PACC’s Development & Marketing Specialist Román Urias, who told us enthusiasm is high right now after the 2020 lockdown. People are desperate to get back out and begin living again. He also stated it’s due to the time and generosity of people like team creator Jerry Rosen and Lisa and Jim Dobbin in supporting the event that Friends of PACC’s participation in the El Tour de Tucson has been so successful to date.
Interested? Follow these registration instructions provided by Friends of PACC to get started:
Go to eltourdetucson.org and click on Registration.
Click “Select a Non-Profit to Fundraise for.”
Click the box of the ride you would like to participate in and scroll down to the bottom of the page. There you can either set up a BikeReg account or Register as a Guest.
Fill out the Participant Contact Information.
*Fundraising Charity – Click the arrow on the right to see the drop-down box and choose “FRIENDS OF PIMA ANIMAL CARE CENTER” for the charity.
Once you finish answering the questions, scroll to the bottom and click either Register Another Participant or Proceed to Checkout. Once you proceed to checkout, you’ll be prompted to pay your registration fee and directed to set up your fundraising page.
Have fun. Be creative with it. Feel free to add pictures and tell a story about why you Ride with the PACC!
Fundraising PRIOR to registration
Many past participants have opted to fundraise prior to registration. If that’s something you’d like to do, send an email to info@friendsofpacc.org including your First Name, Last Name, and Email Address. Friends of PACC will enter you into the system and you’ll receive an email on setting up your fundraising page. Once you’ve reached their minimum of $150 on your page, you’ll need to email them back to inform them and they’ll send you a code to convert your page into an actual registration for the event.
Riders can win awesome prizes when they reach certain fundraising benchmarks!*
Buddy – $250: One Friends of PACC coloring book and 25% off the purchase of one Ride with the PACC jersey (a $15 value).
Friend – $500: All of the above + one FREE team jersey OR helmet sleeve.
Best Friend – $1,000: All of the above + El Conquistador trophy.
Soulmate – $2,000: All of the above + three incoming shelter pet name submissions.
*Benchmarks exclude registration fees, whether fundraised at the beginning (minimum $150) or paid outright by an individual at registration ($145).
Registration ends October 20, 2021, so what are you waiting for? Register today and saddle up for some fall fun!
Note: If you’re looking to get a feel for the ride and a taste of how it works, becoming more educated in the process and familiarizing yourself with the organizations involved, consider going on the upcoming 2021 El Tour Loop de Loop Saturday, September 25, riding the Chuck Huckelberry Loop. Residents are encouraged to join in anywhere along the Loop, giving cyclists the chance to ride from station to station meeting El Tour charitable beneficiaries and sponsors. There’s also an afterparty with live music by Badlands, food/drinks, and raffle prizes with FREE raffle tickets available at each station along the Loop.
friendsofpacc.org/
eltourdetucson.org/loop-de-
