HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — It's a chance to help working single-parent families get through financial hardship and achieve long long-term stability.
The non-profit Forward Foundation assists these families and their children across the Greater Richmond area.
On October 4, Forward Fest 2025, their annual cycling event and festival, is where you can pitch in.
And if a scenic 30- or 50-mile bike ride through the Ashland countryside is not for you, there's also live music, games, raffles, and food for the whole family, including pets.
You'll be helping often overlooked families.
"Forward Foundation is dedicated to working with a very niche demographic," said Director Andrea Starr. "We are supporting single, working parents that are ineligible to receive benefits through the state because on paper, they're earning too much income. But in reality, they're struggling to make ends meet. And so Forward Foundation is there to help provide childcare subsidies, education, community, and the support, the safety net for these families to fill that gap for so many of these families."
Starr says furthering careers can help people avoid having to go without health care or other necessities.
"What we focus on is that education and that professional development," Starr said. "What can we do as a society, as a community, to help these families truly move forward and be able to be in a better place, financially stable, to be able to take care of their families?"
Event Coordinator Jay Smack said creating a fund raising ride was an obvious choice. "The cycling community has always been great about finding these events and using what it is they love to do to support these causes," said Smack. "And that's how I got involved, through my friendship with Andrea. My father was in a single-parent household as well. The cyclists come together, and this just seemed to be the perfect event for that. Get outside, make it a family event, get some exercise, and raise money for a great cause."
"The last few years, we've really been able to lean into the full event, and the cyclists have shown up, said Smack. "We go from Final Gravity Brewing in Lakeside up around Ashland. There's a 30-mile route and a 50-mile route which goes up through Hanover County. And then they come back and there's music and all the fun stuff you could want!"
But as Starr points out, the event is about much than two great bike rides. "The purpose of putting together the festival is for those thatdon't ride but want to come out and be supportive. This is an opportunity for the riders to invite their families and friends and for the rest of the community to still come and support us. We have live music, we have food trucks, we do outdoor games. Final Gravity does a special brew, our 'Go Forward Pilsner,' where they donate a dollar of every pour back to the foundation. Like Jay said, it's an opportunity to bring your family, bring your friends, bring your pets, bring your kids, and just come and enjoy a fun afternoon, relaxed, very low-key. You're doing it to support all of these wonderful families that we have the honor of serving."
Forward Fest is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 4 at Final Gravity Brewing Co., located at 6118 Lakeside Ave, Richmond, VA 23228.
For riders, check-in is at 7:45 a.m. The rides start at 8:30 a.m., and the Go Forward Fest starts at 11 am and runs until 3 pm.
Click here to find more information.
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