October 06, 2023| Events, Fundraising, Recreation
By: Caitlin Doran
We came. We saw. We LOOPED! The Lake Loop brought more than 150 people together to bike, run, paddle, and celebrate Lake Hopatcong as a recreational resource on Sunday, and we’d like to thank the participants, sponsors, partners, volunteers, donors, and our local weatherman for contributing to a sunny and successful day!
Our presenting sponsors, Live the Lake NJ, Cycle Craft, and Ramsey Outdoor brought the resources, support, and know-how to create another special day, which featured 62, 40, and 20-mile bike routes, a 2.5-mile paddling course, and a challenging trail run – all of which culminated in a “finish line party” complete with beer garden, out-of-this-world sandwiches thanks to Drew Busa at PrimoHoagies, and tunes by Joe and Joey Biglin. Thanks to them, and to the support of all our sponsors, 100% of the funds raised by participants will help support our environmental, educational, community, and advocacy programs.
And raise critical funds, we did! Through registration fees, donations, and sponsorships, we have reached our goal of over $65K in support of New Jersey’s largest lake! A special shout out to the following folks who went the “extra mile” and won fundraising prizes this year:
Top cyclist: William Woolley won a brand new Citizen 2 bicycle from JAMIS
Top runner: Ana Galli won a new pair of running shoes from Root Runners
Top paddler: Caitlin Doran won two seats on a Kayak East tour, and donated them to Doug and Lenore Palen
Top Fundraising Team: Team Loops, I Did It Again won a private cruise aboard the Floating Classroom and donated it to Team *Bring Bring* The Kids Along
$100 raised raffle: Michele O'Halloran won a Margaritaville bicycle from Kent Bicycles and is excited to donate it to the 403 Reasons to Run Foundation
Many thanks, also, to Orange Theory and Magic Lube and Rubber for donating swag bags, which were raffled off to all pre-registered participants at lunchtime, as well as for providing additional support to our runners and cyclists through warm-ups and water stops.
An important fundraiser, the Lake Loop is also a complex event logistically, and it simply would not be possible without support from our local towns, counties, and the State of New Jersey. Thank you to the Roxbury Township Police Department, Roxbury Township Office of Emergency Management; Roxbury Fire Department Engine Company 2; Jefferson Township Fire Department Company 2; The New Jersey State Police Marine Division; and Hopatcong State Park.
I’ll close by thanking the 35 volunteers who donated their time to the Lake Loop on Sunday. None of our events are possible without our amazing volunteers, who are always willing to lend a hand and answer the call for help!
We leave you now with a photo album from the day snapped by photographer Ulla Vinkman and LHF staff. Until next time, Lake Loopers! THANK YOU!
