TEAM EVERGREEN, $300,000 Stretch to Local Communities–Even Buying Stretchers…

By Bill Plock

Golden–Between buying Clear Creek EMS five new scoop stretchers and supporting groups such as Eyecycle Colorado who take visually impaired people on tandem bike rides, Team Evergreen has donated over $300,000 this year to many organizations, making an impact far beyond the cycling community.

This year’s application process allowed Team Evergreen to consider a variety of charitable organizations (not necessarily related to cycling) in Jefferson, Clear Creek, Summit and Eagle Counties. Grants were to be considered based on the following categories:

• Advocacy Grants – Non-profit advocacy organizations relating to cycling in the Colorado and Rocky Mountain Region.
•  Community Grants – Non-profit community based organizations in areas that host our events.
•  Trail Projects – Funds for trail projects (hard or soft surface) including required cash matches for grant applications, signage and related equipment purchases.

Jen Barbour, Executive Director of Team Evergreen/Triple Bypass states, “Team Evergreen has been invested in our local communities and the state of Colorado since its beginning. As we’ve grown, so has our ability to make a positive impact. We expanded our grant considerations to further our reach. We believe in supporting the advocacy organizations that continue to make a big impact in our state. Providing grant assistance and volunteers for organizations such as Bicycle Colorado and COMBA (Colorado Mountain Biking Association), were obvious choices. But we also wanted to give back to the communities that graciously host our events. As we found with this year’s grant applications, this can be done through a myriad of ways. Whether it’s providing the Clear Creek EMS with new stretchers, or assisting with neighborhood rehabilitation projects, each Team Evergreen grant recipient is a worthy one.”

Team Evergreen Cycling was founded in 1988 with 1,000+ members, producing epic bicycling events in Colorado such as the Triple Bypass, Bob Cook Memorial Mount Evans Hill Climb and (newly announced for 2020) the Beti Bike Bash. Deeply involved in the community, they’ve donated nearly three million dollars since their inception ($300,000 YTD), with the mission of supporting and promoting the sport of cycling.

In this video, Jen shares a brief description of the beneficiaries’ missions–many that might not be very familiar to you. Included are organizations like Project Bike Tech, Scraps to Soil, Clear Creek Rock House, and The Cycle Effect. Project Bike Tech is helping high schools adopt bike mechanic programs into their curriculums. Scraps to Soil is a Clear Creek county group that teaches people how to compost. Clear Creek Rock House provides a safe and supervised place for teens to recreate and learn life skills. The Cycle Effect in Eagle is a group that offers at-risk girls a way to engage and become more empowered and promotes wellness through mountain biking.

Other more familiar organizations such as the Davis Phinney Foundation, Front Rangers Cycling Club, and Bike Jeffco all received aid this year.

Additionally, the Colorado High School Cycling League presented Jen and Team Evergreen with their “Out of the Saddle Award” that goes to people and groups that go above and beyond. Says Executive director Kate Rau, “this is for all the work, support and belief in our organization.”

Team Evergreen really is like the hub of a wheel supporting so many groups and people that make that wheel roll.