‘Pedaling with purpose.’ Bike ride fundraiser aims to provide armor to first responders

REXBURG — Over 2 twelve group will beryllium participating successful an upcoming four-day motorcycle thrust fundraiser crossed nan authorities of Idaho pinch proceeds going to thief first responders.

The 2024 Idaho Tour de Shield616 Ride, which is put connected by a Colorado nonprofit statement named SHIELD616, will return spot from Sept. 19 to Sept. 22. A group of civilians and first responders will motorcycle 324.1 full miles successful an effort to raise consciousness and raise costs to supply firearm rated armor, specified arsenic vests, helmets and firearm plates, to Idaho first responders.

“We’re going to beryllium riding from Rexburg to Meridian and we’ll beryllium spending nan nights successful churches,” Jake Skifstad, laminitis and president of SHIELD616 told EastIdahoNews.com. “We’ll beryllium pedaling pinch intent to raise those costs and thief get much vests retired location to protect our protectors.”

Skifstad is simply a erstwhile Colorado Springs constabulary serviceman who was progressive successful 2 different progressive shootings wherever some shooters were equipped pinch rifles. Those experiences played a domiciled successful Skifstad starting SHIELD616.

“A batch of group don’t recognize our rule enforcement, nan vests we typically wear, they don’t protect against firearm threats. It’s not going to do thing against them,” he explained. “We arsenic rule enforcement are expected to protect our organization for immoderate threat comes their measurement but if it involves a rifle, we person nary protection against that.”

It was during nan 2nd progressive shooting Skifstad was progressive successful that connected apical of nan civilians killed, 5 officers were changeable and 1 died. Skifstad said pinch nan serviceman that was killed, nan riffle slug went done nan officer’s vest, done his bosom and retired nan different side.

“It became our ngo to rally nan organization astir our rule enforcement and thief fundraise and get these guys and gals that level of protection, which is very expensive,” Skifstad mentioned.

One of nan events nan statement puts connected to thief supply firearm rated armor is this motorcycle ride. This is nan 4th twelvemonth nan motorcycle thrust has taken spot successful Idaho. Skifstad said nan thrust is invite-only and capped disconnected astatine 30 riders.

“It’s typical to travel thrust connected this and to thrust pinch those first responders and beryllium an uplifting root of encouragement and motivation,” Skifstad said.

This year, nan fundraising extremity is to raise a full of $262,400 that will spell to nan pursuing 5 agencies: Teton County Sheriff’s Office (15 vests, $36,000), Rexburg Police Department (36 vests, $86,400), Meridian Police Department (15 vests, $36,000), Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office (20 helmets, $8,000) and Ada County Sheriff’s Office (80 sets of firearm plates, $96,000).

2024 Idaho Tour de Shield616 fundraising goal. | Courtesy SHIELD616

The motorcycle thrust way will spell from Rexburg to Arco past to Fairfield connected to Grand View and will extremity astatine Scheels, a sporting equipment store, successful Meridian.

Skifstad finds gratitude successful knowing that astatine nan extremity of nan ride, that galore much first responders are going to person amended protection and “be safer retired there.”

“The intelligence constituent of knowing that they’re safer, moreover for their loved ones to cognize that … their loved 1 has a higher level of protection to support them safe to make judge they get to travel home, that’s our goal,” Skifstad stated.

Donations enactment local. To donate, click here. To go a sponsor, visit nan organization’s website aliases interaction Skifstad astatine Jake@shield616.org. Donors will beryllium invited to a vest position wherever they’ll watch nan cogwheel they donated towards beryllium presented.

Also arsenic portion of nan thrust this year, nan rider’s jerseys will characteristic nan sanction and extremity of watch day of Ada County Sheriff’s Deputy Tobin Bolter who died in-the-line-of-duty earlier this year. An extremity of watch situation coin will besides beryllium presented to nan Ada County Sheriff’s Office astatine nan extremity of nan ride.