JoyRide Wilton‘s favorite engaged instructors, Adam Keller and Jared Marinelli, were instrumental in organizing the cycling studio’s recent fundraising effort to help support the victims of the shooting tragedy in Orlando and their families. The duo organized Love for Orlando, spinraiser charity rides at each of the four JoyRide studios (Wilton, Westport, Darien and Ridgefield) and invited the community to take part.
The two instructors have worked with HooplaHa.com, which produced the original video of Keller and Marinelli’s ‘viral flash mob wedding proposal’ video, and is now shooting an original video series, “Joy Story,” with the couple. A HooplaHa video crew was on site last Friday, June 24 for the Wilton fundraiser, and have just released this video (below) about the effort.
All told, they raised more than $5,000 (and counting) for Equality Florida’s Pulse Victims Fund, which benefits the Orlando shooting’s victims, their families and the survivors in need of support.
The two were incredibly moved by the support and generosity they received from the community. Marinelli posted the following message on his Facebook page:
Adam and I would like to officially say a huge, whole hearted THANK YOU to everyone who supported and donated to our efforts to rally for the Pulse Victims Charity Fund! We had the opportunity this weekend to see the true beauty in human kindness amongst friends and strangers alike and that’s what it is really all about! We raise money in an effort to show we care but truly what happened this weekend was more than the act of donating. When we come together like that we come together in an act of love and community and in doing so we create a safe space for growth and change. THAT is the only way to battle hatred and fear! No amount of money we could ever raise would ever change what happened in Orlando but we can honor the victims by changing the world around us! The smallest gestures can have the largest ripples!
Contributions are still being accepted online at the Equality Florida Pulse Victims Fund website.
