SMART Ride Celebrates Million Dollar Moment

They trained. They raised money. They rode. And rode and rode and then rode some more. The hundreds of riders, along with invaluable volunteers, made the 19th iteration of the SMART Ride a milliondollar success.

The annual ride from Miami to Key West was the weekend before Thanksgiving, but the proceeds raised were just given out during a ceremony/party at Hunter’s Nightclub in mid-January. South Florida’s SMART Ride is the second largest AIDS bicycle ride in the country and the only one that returns 100% of money raised to HIV/ AIDS services in Florida.

Raising more than a million dollars is a huge success, but it almost didn’t happen. At the closing ceremonies in Key West, SMART Ride founder Glen Weinzimer saw the total. “We were at $988,000. So I went on stage and told the crowd that if they promised to raise another $12,000 by the end of the year, we would announce a million dollars.” The crowd, which was simultaneously pumped up and exhausted from the ride, rose to the challenge.

They cheered their approval and then followed up on their promise. Weinzimer told OutClique the million-dollar goal was reached and surpassed quickly. At the January event, the money raised was given out to six benefiting organizations: A.H. Monroe, Broward House, Pridelines, Compass, Miracle of Love, and Epic. Weinzimer holds back about ten percent as an emergency fund. The 10% Lifeline fund is distributed throughout the year when an organization has an unforeseen expenditure for a critical service. This year, Pet Project and SunServe benefitted from that program.

While HIV/AIDS has largely disappeared from the headlines, it continues to be a crisis, especially for the younger generation. “One week before this year’s ride a young man died of AIDS. An unnecessary death,” Weinzimer said. “He chose to not take his meds. It speaks to youth not knowing our history.”

Preparations for SMART Ride 20 (SR20) are already well underway. It’s set for November 17-18, 2023, and riders are already signing up. Weinzimer says the excitement is palpable. “SR20 has already broken records for early registration. Today we are sitting with as many participants registered as we did in May of 2022.”

The landmark ride also comes with a new, huge, landmark goal. “We anticipate for our 20th anniversary to raise two million dollars, our highest ever.”

The milestone ride will also feature a big transition. The SMART Ride is a legacy project for Weinzimer. Now he has begun the process of relinquishing responsibility to a new person. LGBTQIA+ community leader Todd Delmay is taking over after SR20. He will ‘shadow’ Weinzimer this year to learn the ins and outs of the organization.

The goal for SR20 is to lead the way for others to follow living healthy lives. “It’s our responsibility to make sure that the next generation coming up understands that HIV and AIDS can be deadly. We need to continue to focus on diversity, minorities, and stigma.”

Weinzimer will depart knowing his project is in good hands for years to come. “It will be a celebration and a continued effort to make people aware that HIV/AIDS has not gone away.”