Local couple to tackle Pine Creek Rail Trail to Wellsboro to aid JS food pantry
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The team has shared additional ways to show community support for those that want to contribute to their fundraising.
JERSEY SHORE -- Ken and Penny Parks-Dean are preparing to take on a 65-mile bicycle ride through the Pine Creek Rail Trail in an effort to help raise funds and awareness for the Jersey Shore Care and Share Food Pantry.
The Parks-Dean Team will make the ride Sept. 5, traveling from Wellsboro to Jersey Shore along the Pine Creek Rail Trail, totaling 65 miles.
The couple, in their mid- to late-60s, who describe themselves as being "certainly NOT elite athletes," said the challenge is as much about giving back to the community as it is about completing the ride.
"Between us we have seven total knee replacements and some other 'physical challenges,'" they wrote in a letter announcing the fundraiser. "However, we also have big hearts and are adamant about the importance of making a difference."
The ride is intended to raise money for the Jersey Shore Care and Share Food Pantry, which the two described as an important and much-needed resource for the local community.
The pantry, a nonprofit organization that provides food pantry and distribution services to those experiencing food insecurity or shortages to assist with proper nutrition and health, is located at 229 S. Broad St. in Jersey Shore and is supported by 27 local churches. It serves approximately 350 households, or about 900 individuals, each month through both a food distribution day and a walk-through option.
Jersey Shore Care and Share is an all-volunteer program with volunteers coming from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences. Volunteers help to fulfill a broad range of tasks during pantry operations, including offloading food items, packing distribution boxes, preparing and placing items into carts and loading vehicles.
For the Parks-Deans team, the 65-mile journey is a way to use their own efforts to help support an organization that provides assistance to area residents.
The team is encouraging members of the community to support the effort through donations and by helping spread the word about the ride.
Electronic donations can be made through the Jersey Shore Care and Share website, www.jerseyshorecareandshare.com, while checks can be made payable to Jersey Shore Care and Share.
The couple also invited community members to follow their effort and reach out with questions or for additional information.
"We also have big hearts and a huge belief in doing what we can to make a difference for others," the Parks-Deans wrote.
For more information about the fundraiser or to support the ride, contact Penny Parks-Dean at 717-448-4281 or visit Jersey Shore Care and Share.