Charles River Wheelers gathered 65 members and guests on Sunday, October 26th at the Donut Villa Diner and Bar in Arlington to honor the volunteers who keep the club's wheels turning year-round.

The festive evening kicked off with cocktails and appetizers at 5:30 PM, followed by dinner and an awards ceremony celebrating an impressive year of cycling achievements. The numbers speak for themselves: CRW volunteers led an astounding 318 rides so far in 2025, including 196 led/show & go rides, 69 women's/non-binary rides, 29 development rides, 7 gravel rides, and 11 virtual Zwift sessions.

New Faces Leading the Pack

The club welcomed seven new ride leaders in 2025: Ellen Dirgins, Todd Palmer, Jack Gregory, Aydan Gasimova, Ken Schwarz, Andrew Black, and Mary Lauran Hendrix. Their addition has brought fresh energy and new perspectives to the club's diverse riding programs.

Award Winners Recognized

John O'Dowd, VP of Rides, presented the Ride Leader Incentive Contest awards, recognizing those who went above and beyond:

Most Co-Led Rides (Non-Recurring):

• 1st Place: Melissa Quirk (7 rides)
• 2nd Place: Ken Schwarz (6 rides)
• 3rd Place: Nina Siegel (5 rides)

Most Co-Led Rides (Recurring):

• 1st Place: Mary Lauran Hendrix (30 rides)
• 2nd Place: Sylvia Stoddart (13 rides)
• 3rd Place: Barb Taylor (10 rides)

Most Led Rides (Non-Recurring):

• 1st Place: Gene Ho (6 rides)
• 2nd Place (tie): Lisa O'Connor and Keren Hamel (3 rides each)

Most Led Rides (Recurring):

• 1st Place: Mike Togo (21 rides)
• 2nd Place: André Wolff (17 rides)
• 3rd Place: Andy Brand (15 rides)

Honorable mentions went to Board members Amy Juodawlkis and Barbara Jacobs, who led 66 and 27 rides throughout the year, respectively.

2025 Highlights and Special Programs

The year featured several standout programs and events led by dedicated volunteers:

• Classics Ride Series – Led by Nina Siegel and Harold Hatch
• Major Taylor/George's Hill Challenge Century – Led by Randolph Williams
• Monthly Jack's Abbey Rides – Led by Jerry Skurla and Bob Wolf
• North Shore Lobster Loop – Led by Ken Schwarz
• Five Paceline Clinics – Led by Amy Juodawlkis and Ed Kross
• Intro to Group Riding – Led by Mark Nardone
• Safety Clinic – Led by John Allen and David Wean

Century Success

The club's three supported century rides proved highly successful, generating $27,730 in revenue and approximately $14,222 in net revenue. The North to New Hampshire century drew 214 riders, Climb to the Clouds attracted 97 participants, and the Cranberry Harvest saw 82 riders complete the weather-shortened route.

This year, CRW was able to donate over $1,500 to local cycling and charitable organizations that assisted with our centuries, including the National MS Society, Friends of Myles Standish State Forest, and Bike Not Bombs.

Over 50 volunteers contributed to making the century rides possible, including support from Conte's Bike Shop, which provided SAG services.

Gifts and Gratitude

All ride leaders received CRW ride leader Halo headbands designed to keep sweat at bay, along with Specialized CRW water bottles. Century volunteers received the commemorative water bottles as a token of appreciation.

A 2025 Volunteer award gift and plaques were presented from the Board to the following members for their exemplary service:

• Ann Healey, for her work as Century Coordinator
• Barbara Jacobs, for her many contributions on the Board in service to the club and its members

The Board also thanked Randolph Williams and presented him with a plaque to commemorate and thank him for his term as club president, Jan 2024 - Dec 2025.

The evening concluded with heartfelt thanks to all 50+ volunteers who created countless memories and strengthened the bonds of the CRW community through 318+ rides this year. Here's to another great year of cycling ahead!

For information about becoming a ride leader, contact rides-VP@crw.org. If you would like to volunteer in other ways, contact us at volunteering@crw.org.