The Tour de Turquoise, the charity cycling event that raises funds for vital causes in Exuma while boosting healthy living and community spirit, revealed today this weekend’s ride was the most successful in the event’s history, raising nearly $150,000 and pushing total donations since the event started past the half million-dollar mark.
Funds from this year’s event will help solve one of the island’s major problems – providing a solution to the water supply shortage that has forced reduced school hours at LN Coakley High. The Bahamas National Trust will also benefit and applications remain open for other causes.
The annual event brings cyclists from Canada, the US and The Bahamas together for a day of riding, connecting and celebrating the beauty and magic of the Exumas, say organizers, while fund-raising for the local community. There is both a 20-mile community ride and a 40-mile epic ride that traverses most of Great Exuma. As in past years, the community ride attracted students, moms pulling kids in trailers and local residents while the epic 40 miler brought in VIP donors from Canada and the US as well as keen local riders including star athletes from LN Coakley High School.
“What I love most about this event is bringing guests from outside Exuma to engage with the local community in ways that benefit everyone,” says Howard Chang who founded the event in 2015 in partnership with Jeff Todd and Peter Nicholson. “We are really excited about all the good we have been able to do with the money raised to support education, health and the environment in Exuma.”
Much of the over $500,000 raised since the Tour de Turquoise was founded in 2015 has come from a core group of Canadian cyclists known as Les Domestiques which in French means “The Servants”. This club co-founded by Chang has been sending riders and donating to the Exuma Foundation of Canada in the spirit of their motto “Cyclists Who Serve”.
Three years ago, Exuma resident, co-founder and president of Friends of Exuma Bob Coughlin got involved and brought some of his American colleagues to ride and donate. The Foundation serves the community and donors to ensure that donations are used to serve youth development, conservation and community support.
“Every year we see some new faces and many returning riders who have been supporting this event for years, which makes every year different and magical,” says Todd who Chang credits with helping to connect so many dots to make this event happen thanks to his depth of experience on the island.
Over the years, proceeds have gone to a variety of causes.
Last year’s Ride for Exuma raised enough funds to buy a new bus for LN Coakley High School. Past years have netted funds for a bus for the clinic, providing transportation for elderly patients or those without other means. Other initiatives include a refurbished basketball court, a cycling club for the high school, and support for the Bahamas National Trust and the Exuma Humane Society.
“This event unites the community whether people ride or just cheer participants on,” Chang adds. “It’s a true island effort with donors, police, students, everyday Bahamians riding side by side We’ve had riders in their 70s, and riders as young as 10.”
Donations may be made year-round at rideforexuma.com
Tour de Turquoise, the charity cycling event that raises funds for Exuma while boosting healthy living and community spirit, revealed today this weekend’s race was the most successful in the event’s history, raising nearly $150,000 and pushing total donations since the event started past the half million-dollar mark.
More than 40 cyclists powered through the eighth running of the charity ride led by Canadian and American philanthropists with a shared love for Exuma. Also known as Ride for Exuma, the annual spectacle of riders cycling through Great Exuma brings together locals and visitors for the 80 km (50 mile) ride along the scenic shore of the island known for the beauty of its waters.
“Tour de Turquoise is a powerful community effort. What makes it so special is not quantity of participants – we generally only get about 40 or 50 -- but the quality,” said Howard Chang, Dilly Crab Ranch, who founded the event in partnership with author and communications specialist Jeff Todd, along with Peter Nicholson, a well-known investor in Exuma.
Nicholson, the largest owner at Grand Isle Resort & Residences, immediately saw the event’s potential and stepped up as its first event sponsor. This year, second homeowner Bob Coughlin, founder of Friends of Exuma, announced the Friends of Exuma donation of $7500, matched it personally and challenged others to up the ante.
“Coughlin’s enthusiasm was the inspirational call that motivated everyone, putting us well over the top,” said Todd. And Chang agreed, saying “The real credit must go to our donors.
“I must thank a core of Canadians from a cycling club I helped create known as Les Domestiques. Translated from French to “The Servants”, these cyclists and philanthropists have fallen in love with Exuma over the years, as I have, and they are a big reason why we’ve reached this incredible $500,000 milestone.”
Founded in 2009, Les Domestiques, comprised of well-known business leaders and entrepreneurs, has raised over $100 million for causes in Canada.
Last weekend, this organization, and other cyclists from both The Bahamas and United States, once again sprinkled some of that magic in Exuma.
Whether cyclists choose the long version or a shorter ride of half that distance, their donations entitle them to enjoy parties, boating and all that Exuma has to offer.
The VIP entry fee for the full course is a minimum donation of $2500, with some riders donating multiples of that figure. The event also welcomes riders of all financial means, with locals invited to participate and donate what they can afford.
According to Todd, the event has grown in significance annually.
The event benefits from two foundations with tax deductible provisions – the Exuma Foundation of Canada and Friends of Exuma, founded by Exuma second-home owner Paycor founder and former Chairman Bob Coughlin, who has been recognized repeatedly in the U.S. for his community involvement.
“We had no idea it would become what it is today, thanks to supporters like Peter Nicholson and Bob Coughlin, one Canadian, one American, both of whom love Exuma and head up philanthropic organizations as well as being personal supporters and believers in what this one cycling event is achieving in community change,” Todd explains. “Men like Nicholson and Coughlin, and of course Chang, are making a huge difference on the island.”
Over the years, proceeds have gone to a variety of causes.
Last year’s Ride for Exuma raised enough funds to buy a new bus for LN Coakley High School. Past years have netted funds for a bus for the clinic, providing transportation for elderly patients or those without other means. Other initiatives include a refurbished basketball court, a cycling club for the high school, and support for the Bahamas National Trust and the Exuma Humane Society.
“This event unites the community whether people ride or just cheer participants on,” Chang adds. “It’s a true island effort with donors, police, students, everyday
Bahamians riding side by side We’ve had riders in their 70s, and riders 10 or under.”
