To the Editor: Heartfelt Thanks for a Spectacular Event
I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the riders and volunteers who participated in the 13th annual Sourland Spectacular cycling event held on September 7th. Your enthusiasm and support made this year’s event a resounding success and crucial to our mission.
The Sourland Spectacular is more than just a bike ride; it is a community effort to support the Sourland Conservancy’s vital work in forest restoration. This year, we were thrilled to offer new opportunities for friends and family to back their favorite riders. With the prospect of earning a free cycling jersey for securing $200 in sponsorship donations and the exciting competition for the top fundraiser, participants went above and beyond in their efforts.
Congratulations to Jeff Gay, the event’s top fundraiser, who won our prize basket filled with wonderful donated items from several individuals and local businesses including Unionville Vineyards, Sourlands Cycles, Dandelion Wishes, Aunt Chubby’s Luncheonette, Boro Bean, Lo Ré Pasta Shop, Sourland Mountain Spirits, and Ottoburger.
We are especially grateful to those who sponsored the riders. Donations and event proceeds helped us raise significant funds to combat the recent loss of over one million trees due to the invasive emerald ash borer. Your contributions are directly supporting our forest restoration projects, which have already seen nearly 50,000 trees planted since 2020.
Laurie Cleveland, our Executive Director, aptly highlighted the importance of this work: “Millions of people and animals rely on the forest to filter air and drinking water, provide critical habitat for threatened and endangered species, prevent flooding, sequester carbon, and more. The work we’re doing today will help leave a healthy legacy for future generations.”
To our incredible volunteers, thank you for your time and dedication. Your efforts helped ensure the smooth running of the event, and your commitment to our cause is deeply appreciated. Your support not only made the event enjoyable but also instrumental in furthering our mission.
To everyone who participated, whether by riding, volunteering, or supporting the riders, we thank you for your enthusiasm and commitment. Your involvement is making a real difference in preserving the Sourland Mountain region’s natural beauty and ecological health.
We look forward to continuing this important work and hope to see you all at next year’s event!
Joanna Fiori and James Andrews
Sourland Spectacular Event Co-chairs
Opportunities: Call for Sponsors
Flag sponsorships are now available for the Rotary Club of Robbinsville Hamilton’s Flags for Heroes display at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton.
Residents and businesses can honor their personal heroes by sponsoring a 3’x5’ American flag to be flown for more than two weeks — November 1 through 16 — on the hospital grounds along White Horse-Hamilton Square Road and Klockner Road in Hamilton.
Individuals can visit the Rotary Club’s website, rhrotary.org, to sponsor a flag for $60 with the option of purchasing the actual flag for an additional $40.
Businesses can contact president@rhrotary.org to become a blue, white, red or gold corporate sponsor starting at $300. The deadline for sponsorships is Friday, October 18.
Each donor will receive a digital certificate, a keepsake flag medallion with their name, message, and hero’s name, and acknowledgement on the display banner at RWJUH/Hamilton and on the Rotary Club’s website.
Net proceeds from Flags for Heroes will be donated to non-profit organizations in Mercer County, including the Mercer County Military Action Council, which will help finance an active U.S. military member’s return to their family during military leave.
The 5th annual Flags for Heroes display will fill the prominent hospital field with hundreds of flags honoring family members, teachers, veterans, active military, first responders and others who have made a mark in a person’s life. A Community Field Dedication and Veterans Day ceremony will be held on the grounds on Saturday, November 9, from 11 a.m. to noon.
For more information about the Rotary Club of Robbinsville Hamilton and its charitable initiatives, email president@rhrotary.org or visit www.rhrotary.org.
Take a Walk
Celebrate fall with a “TAVI Tours” walk through historic Allentown during Walking Tour Weekend, September 21 and 22. Four offered tours will lead participants approximately one mile around town to learn about and enjoy architectural gems, the 19th Century Underground Railroad, and notable residents buried in historic cemeteries. Each tour begins with a live introduction and includes a map for your own self-guided stroll through town. The schedule of tours is as follows:
Saturday, September 21:
Meet in the Allentown Library Community Room, 16 South Main Street, Allentown
10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.: Allentown Architecture — Colonial, Victorian, Revival & more — classic designs in town and their historical significance.
Noon: Underground Railroad — Our community’s role in the struggle for freedom
Sunday, September 22:
Meet in the parking lot for Allentown Methodist Church, 23 Church Street, Allentown
3 p.m.: Historic Cemeteries — Who lies there? Visit the graves of remarkable local residents.
Participants are asked to register in advance at www.allentownvinj.org/walking-tour-weekend.html to ensure a map copy is available; walk-ins are also welcome. Suggested donation of $5 per tour map.
