Santa Rosa officials are popping wheelies over the amount of money raised at Levi Leipheimer's GranFondo ride in October, saying the money is a big boost toward the city hosting a stage of the Amgen Tour of California again in May.
"To be able to get that huge amount of money all in one chunk - it's weeks, if not months, of fund raising that was just gifted to us," said Mo McElroy, executive director of the Santa Rosa Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Organizers said almost $100,000 was raised by the Fondo, which was held Oct. 3 and drew 3,500 cyclists, some who paid as much as $115 to participate.
Of that, $60,000 is earmarked for Santa Rosa to host the second stage of the Amgen Tour. That increases the overall amount raised to date to $116,000, according to McElroy.
The Tour requires cities to commit $175,000 toward hosting the race.
Raissa de la Rosa, an economic development specialist for the city, said raising that amount would guarantee not just the Tour's arrival in Santa Rosa but a weekend geared around cycling fun.
"Our goal is to really do this great event without having to scale back any of the components of it," she said. "That's where we can maximize our economic return."
The race, which organizers envision as a warmup to the Tour de France, cycling's marquee event that's held in July, will begin May 16. It is the first time the race will be held in the spring and for the first time will include the Sierras. In its previous four years, it was in February and this year was marred by high winds and heavy rain.
The race has become a signature event for the city and for Wine Country since its inception in 2006, and city officials say it has been an economic and marketing boon.
More fund raisers are scheduled, McElroy said, including events involving the city's brew pubs and cyclists. Posters also have gone up at gyms asking members to donate $20 each.
"We're definitely not done, but we are well on our way," she said.
As for the Fondo, Leipheimer credited the team he put together to produce the inaugural ride with going "above and beyond" what they were asked to do.
"People believed in the event," he said.
The ride was the largest amateur cycling event ever held in Sonoma County, drawing participants from 39 states.
Carlos Perez, the ride's director and founder of Bike Monkey Magazine, said the ride cost about $250,000 to put on, much of that related to services along the route, law enforcement and equipment.
But he said those costs could have been significantly higher had sponsors and others not agreed to lower their costs. For example, he said the city of Santa Rosa charged a lower rental fee than normal for exclusive use of the Finley Center.
"We produced this ride for less than half what it costs other companies to produce similar rides throughout the United States," Perez said.
The Fondo will be held again, he said, and organizers say they hope to have almost double the number of riders participate.
Another $25,000 from this year's GranFondo will go to Forget Me Not Farm, a nonprofit group that provides therapy for troubled children on the grounds of the Humane Society & SPCA of Sonoma County.
Odessa Gunn, Leipheimer's wife, is on the farm's board of directors and is a weekly volunteer there.
An average of 350 kids from 11 different social service agencies visit the farm every year to experience what it's like working around animals.
Gunn said she had no idea what the farm's mission was prior to being a volunteer. She thought it was a place to rehabilitate hurt animals when in fact the focus is on helping children with emotional issues.
"When I found out that their mission was to break the cycle of abuse and prevent cruelty, I thought it was brilliant," she said. "I love animals and kids. There's too much cruelty in the world."
Angie Bonnert, the Humane Society's spokeswoman, said the donation will provide general support to the farm program and hopefully allow it reach more kids.
"The farm program is so unique and not well known that it does not receive donations like this," she said.
The remaining $10,000 raised by the GranFondo went to the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
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