Noreen Karcher moved from Kentucky, where she was very involved in her community food shelf, back to Vermont last summer.  “Whether it’s fighting hunger in Kentucky or Vermont, we can come together as a community to take action.”

She’s also become an avid biker in the last few years, so she’s excited to ride in the Harpoon Point to Point, a charity cycling event presented by Harpoon Brewery and National Life, to benefit the Vermont Foodbank.

“I had just got back to Vermont last July and really wanted to do the ride in August but we were still trying to figure out where we were going to live and timing wasn’t right.  So I knew I was going to do it this year and was watching for it.”

Riders can select from 25, 50 or 100 mile bike rides, all of which loop back to the Harpoon Brewery in Windsor, Vermont.   Riders have raised nearly a million dollars since the event was started in 2002.

“When I worked for the United Way on their annual campaign in 2004, I learned so much about how we, as a community, can collectively make a difference.  Hunger is such a huge problem and it may seem like, how can I possibly make a difference,” Noreen asks.

But Karcher and her husband, Steve, “believe everyone has the right to have their basic needs met, which includes having a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of a person and their family.  This should definitely include food. It’s so disheartening to think people in our state or anywhere you live are not having their basic needs met.   It costs so much to buy groceries, so people have to make decisions on what they buy to fill their families’ stomachs.  Our children should not be going to bed hungry.  Collectively we have to work together to spread hunger awareness, as donations of all sizes really do make a difference.”

Noreen has already met her fundraising goal, several months before the ride in August.  “My donors are family and close friends who know how important sharing hunger awareness is to me.”  She’s reached out to friends and family via Facebook and other means, making it clear that even a few dollars helps.

In addition to the cause, Noreen appreciates the ride and sharing a brew with fellow supporters.   Her favorite part of the ride? “Having Steve ride alongside me and knowing my partner feels the same way: that we can make a difference to help eradicate hunger in Vermont.   The after party was pretty great too!”

To learn more, visit Noreen’s Harpoon Point to Point webpage.

“It’s not a race, but a ride that everyone can participate in and be a big part of.  We are making a difference.”

We’d love to see you in August too!  Sign up to ride or volunteer today!