By P.J. DiPentino
Berthoud Recorder 

Recently you may have seen posters and flyers about the upcoming Realities Ride and Rally coming through our little town. A 501c component of the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado, the Realities for Children organization provides emergency funds for abused and neglected children in Larimer County.

The Berthoud Recorder and the Berthoud BMX Association were pleased when the organization announced they would be brining the annual Realities Ride through to Fickle Park in Berthoud on Sunday, May 24, the only new stop added to the annual event.

On Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 riders will be coming through Town to stop at Fickle Park for some refreshments and local live entertainment.

The Realities Ride will also be part of the first annual Berthoud Recorder Youth Fundraising Festival. This is a brand new idea for the youth of Berthoud to create booths to raise funds for their specific cause. It can be sports related, youth group or church related or it can be for youth social clubs. The only requirement is that the funds go to a youth-based organization.

There will be no charge for booths and no limitations on the source of fundraising. The Realities Ride and Rally will bring thousands of Larimer County professionals with youth opportunities in mind to Berthoud for this groundbreaking festival. The thought is to fill the park with our youth groups and organizations to help promote what a great place Berthoud is for a child to grow up.

The Youth Fundraiser Festival will also allow local parents to view and speak with attending organizations about their programs for potential enrollment. As a Berthoud youth advocate, I encourage all of our groups to take advantage of this golden opportunity to help offset the upcoming costs of summer activities.

The economy is tough enough without the added costs of keeping our children healthy and entertained during the summer. This festival is designed to help relieve the financial burden of concerned parents. For information on the Realities for Children organization please visit their Web site at wwwrealitiesforchildren.com. For information about the Realities Ride and Rally, go to www.realitiesride.com; for booth sign up call the Berthoud BMX hotline at (970) 308-5630 or send an e–mail to adipentino@hotmail.com.

— Shari Phiel contributed to this column