Press
28th Annual Jack Monroe Ride-A-Thon - Oct 28, 2009
For the last nine years Lakewood Camping Resort has hosted the American Heart Association's Jack Monroe Ride-A-Thon. The event helps raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the non-profit agency. Horse enthusiasts from all over the country come to Myrtle Beach to take part in the event and they all stay at Lakewood Camping Resort. It's amazing to see the campground transform into a nearly 200 acre pasture overnight. Then within days the horses are gone and you would never know they were here. Lakewood Camping Resort is very proud to host the event. They are the only campground in the area to host an event of this kind and magnitude. Lakewood Camping Resort Operations Manager Robert Clinger had this to say about the event, "We feel that the American Heart Association Ride-A-Thon is an excellent way for the organization to raise funds towards research in the area of stroke and heart related illnesses. We are very pleased to host the event and we open up the campground to do our part for community service and for the American Heart Association."
The riders will begin arriving at Lakewood as early at 8 o'clock on October 28th and will continue to check-in through Friday. The big event is the ride which takes place in the mornings after high tide. Usually the ride is underway by 8am. The planning and effort that goes into making the ride a success comes from so many people who work all year to prepare. The ride, named in honor of Jack Monroe is very special to many of those involved and for Jack himself he says he's amazed every year by the growth of the event. "There's not a better or more beautiful place in Myrtle Beach to hold this event than Lakewood Camping Resort. They have embraced this event and make it happen year after year and it keeps getting bigger. This is the home of the event and we don't ever plan on changing that," said Monroe as he watched trailer after trailer arrive.
In 2006 the ride raised more than $280,000.00, a record amount for the event. The 2007 goal is $275,000.00 and coming into the first day of the event $220,000.00 is already accounted for. The final numbers for 2008 show a gross profit of $314,000.00 and a net profit of more than $280,000.00. Some of the money comes from ride activities that don't involve riding a gorgeous horse down the beach. The riders have a silent auction, a barn yard sale and heart strings are sold for the entire event. Riders will remain at Lakewood Camping Resort through Sunday, November 1st and after they're gone they'll start making their plans for 2010.
