2023 Santa Cruz Sunrise Rotary Ride - 26th Annual!

The Santa Cruz Sunrise Rotary Ride, celebrating its 26th year, is a fun fundraising event like no other.   Proceeds go to local organizations serving the youth in our community.   The Rotary Ride consists of a 3-day fully supported 200 mile ride culminating at a festive Finish Line Party featuring music, food, fun and friends.

Over the years we've raised more than $1,600,000 for local organizations!  Each year we choose a primary beneficiary or cause to receive the largest percentage of the ride proceeds.  

This year's Rotary Ride focuses on supporting local kids and teens with safe spaces to learn, grow and thrive, in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Cruz County. The Club has been serving local youth since the Downtown Santa Cruz Clubhouse opened its doors in 1969. For generations, local kids have received homework help and warm meals, played sports, created artwork, learned to swim, and spent their afternoons and summers creating lasting friends and memories at the Club. Support from the Rotary Ride will be used to revitalize the aging indoor swimming pool, with the intention of creating a vibrant community resource that will benefit youth for years to come.  

Read more about our partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Santa Cruz County and how with your support we will make a meaningful difference for our kids and community. 

In addition, the ride proceeds will continue to support other youth organizations in our community as well as the Santa Cruz Sunrise Rotary club's Charities and Grants and High School Scholarship programs.

The Sunrise Rotary Ride, aka, Jon & Ken's Most Excellent Adventure

In 1997 Jon Sisk and Ken Whiting created a biking fundraiser that over the years has grown into our current 3-day adventure. Our ride begins in the heart of the wine country in Healdsburg and takes us through the beauty of the Russian River, Sonoma County wine country, Tomales Bay to San Francisco, over the Golden Gate Bridge and down the coast to Santa Cruz. No large riding experience is needed, only a love for our beautiful state and a desire to have some fun while supporting youth in our community. 

The ride is exceptionally well supported including all food, premier lodging, medical and sag. You can rest assured that you will be able to enjoy every bit of every day, while you do the ride that you want to do. The route incorporates rolling hills, some optional steeper hills, remote seaside riding and in-town riding. More seasoned riders can find great challenges each day, while entry level riders can build their experience and achieve their personal bests.

Day 1 – We take a bus from Santa Cruz to Healdsburg and set out just before lunch to ride 51 miles to the Rohnert Park. Along the way, a fabulous lunch is served at Rick Hofstetter's river-side chalet on the Russian River.   Lodging is at the fabulous Cambria Hotel Sonoma Wine Country .  A scrumptious spread of hand crafted hors d'oeuvres and beverages are served at cocktail hour around the hot tub followed by a catered dinner. 

Day 2 – Get an early start for an 88 mile ride from Rohnert Park to Pacifica.  Lunch is served in Sausalito just before you cross the majestic Golden Gate Bridge.   From there we ride through San Francisco then on to Pacifica where we spend Friday night at the Pacifica Lighthouse Hotel at Rockaway Beach.  Dinner is at Nick’s Restaurant.

Day 3 – 64 Miles from Pacifica to Santa Cruz, culminating in a finish line party at Santa Cruz County Bank (75 River St. Santa Cruz) where we join up with family and friends (all are invited) for food, drink, music raffles and auctions.    Guests are encouraged to arrive at the finish line party by 12:30pm.   Riders will gather on the Riverwalk adjacent to the Kaiser Permanente / Santa Cruz Warriors Arena at 12:45pm and triumphantly ride into the party at 1:00pm.  

And best of all, everything is included!

The ride brings together like-minded individuals committed to supporting our youth and provides great opportunities for fun and networking. This event is a fundraiser with an all-volunteer crew.   100% of the proceeds go to the charities.  

The $500 registration fee covers all rider expenses including transportation to Healdsburg, 2 nights premier lodging, all meals, snack stops, happy hours, sag and medical support, a commemorative ride T-shirt and admittance to the Finish Line Party.   

Riders are required to fundraise $1000 (in addition to the $500 registration fee) 100% of which goes to our designated charities.   As part of the registration process, you will be guided through the creation of a personal fundraising web page that you can use to support your fundraising efforts.   Although $1,000 is the minimum riders commit to raise, most will far exceed that amount with our easy to use fundraising platform.

For tips on how to mount an easy and successful fundraising effort,  check out our guide Fundraising is as easy as 1, 2, 3.

The Sunrise Rotary Ride is limited to only 100 participants and always sells out so sign up today!