CareFirst and DC Bike Ride Celebrate Health and Cycling During 8th Anniversary
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) is proud to work with cultural institutions and regional organizations that promote the arts, entertainment and sporting events in the Mid-Atlantic to advance positive health outcomes and opportunities for our surrounding communities. This work is a natural extension of our mission and enables us to promote the overall well-being of our community.
One of our partnerships in Washington, D.C., is with DC Bike Ride (DCBR), a 20-mile bike ride through our nation’s capital and the D.C. area’s largest celebration of health and cycling. We have been a proud supporter of DCBR since its inception eight years ago and are excited to support the growth of this staple event. Since 2016, this annual ride has welcomed more than 50,000 riders on two wheels from all over the world. In 2024, the event expects to have over 10,000 riders participate and make a lasting impact on the local economy. Contributions total approximately $16.5 million since inception. DCBR has also donated over $225,000 to organizations such as the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, Fruitful Planet and the Wounded Warrior Project.
In addition, our partnership with DCBR doesn’t end with the annual ride. Through our collaborative Pedal For A Purpose Initiative, CareFirst and DCBR have raised $75,000 to alleviate food insecurity and enrich local communities with local nonprofit partner, Dreaming Out Loud. In 2024, our efforts are expanding and enhancing the Pedal For A Purpose Initiative, creating an extended timeline that encourages cyclists across the region to pedal and contribute to community well-being. For the first time, every rider’s participation in DCBR will count toward the total collective mileage goal of 200,000 miles, which will yield dollars donated directly to the community.
As part of its this year’s programming, DCBR launched the Graduation on Wheels event in collaboration with CareFirst, Events DC and the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) Health and Physical Education department (HPE). CareFirst was proud to support the event where 210 bicycles were given to students in under-resourced communities. The program works in concert with HPE’s inclusion of cycling in the second-grade curriculum. 210 students from seven different DCPS schools received their own bike, helmet and lock upon completing the HPE curriculum. All students, families, volunteers and teachers received complimentary registration for the DCBR event.
Our partnership shows what two organizations can accomplish when we harness our resources toward a shared mission of positively transforming the health of our community. We are incredibly proud of all that our partnership has accomplished in these eight years and look forward to seeing it expand in the future.
