Pedaling for a Cause
Bridges Ride for Autism
by Anne Silverstein
By day, Joseph J. Nobile is the Principal of PS 304 in the Bronx. But by weekend, Mr. Nobile and his friends don their bicycle helmets and ride for worthy causes.
Recently, Mr. Nobile and fellow riders Jon Delise, a retired Principal, Bob Brucker, a retired Assistant Principal, and Bob’s wife, Francesca Levocci, a social worker in the school system, decided to organize a bike ride for autism research and advocacy. Mr. Nobile’s interest in this specific cause was sparked by his great-nephew who is autistic. Several conversations with his riding buddies led to their decision.
According to Autism Speaks, the organization for which Mr. Nobile is raising funds, one in 110 children, and one in 70 boys, are autistic – 1.5 million people – in the U.S.
As longtime bicyclists, Mr. Nobile’s pack know the routes of past organized rides and decided to come up with a new route. Thus the Bridges Ride for Autism on July 17 was born. The route will take bikers across the Brooklyn Bridge, the Manhattan Bridge, the Williamsburg Bridge, the Pulaski Bridge and the 59th Street Bridge, an 18-mile journey in all.
This is not a race, Mr. Nobile emphasized. It is designed for families which means a leisurely ride. Only bike lanes, bikeways and greenways are included in the route.
For those who would rather not ride, Mr. Nobile says, the event is also sponsoring a 5K walk back and forth across the Brooklyn Bridge on the same day. The starting and ending point for the ride and the walk are the same: Uno Chicago Grill in South Street Seaport, which is sponsoring the ride and will provide refreshments at the end of the event.
The registration fee for the ride is a $100 donation to Autism Speaks. The fee for the walk is $75. The ride starts at 8 a.m. For more information, visit www.bridgesrideforautism.com. All donations go to Autism Speaks.
