Every spring for the past 10+ years, several Bolton Hillers have been participating in the annual Ride for the Feast as part of the Rebels with a Cause team. The Ride is a 2-day, 140 mile bike ride from Ocean City to Baltimore that raises critical funds for Moveable Feast, a Baltimore-based organization that provides medically tailored home-delivered meals at no cost to Marylanders living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other serious illnesses.
The pandemic forced the ride to go virtual in 2020, but plans are in place for both a modified in-person and a virtual ride this May. The Rebels are looking forward to the May 1 event, but many of the fundraising efforts they held in years past (close to $1M to date), had been centered around large in-person fundraisers often supported by local restaurants in the lead up to the actual Ride.
So for 2021, they’ve had to think creatively and pivot. Big gatherings are out of the question, and many of the businesses that donated to their events are themselves struggling now. So the idea for the “Unicorns with a Cause” was hatched. Dozens of Rebel volunteers, now equipped with inflatable unicorn suits, are partnering with local restaurants, breweries, farms, and businesses to spread some much-needed joy, raise funds for Moveable Feast and promote local businesses that have for so long supported it.
For Valentine’s Day, they teamed up with Charlottetown Farm, Gertrude’s Restaurant, and Flowers & Fancies to deliver gift baskets, special V-Day meals, and bouquets of flowers with a percentage of sales and their “delivery fees” all donated to Moveable Feast.
Next up, a Unicorn Community Night with the businesses at Union Collective on March 3. Well Crafted Kitchen and Union Craft Brewing will be including special unicorn-themed menu items and donating a portion of the day’s sales to Moveable Feast. The Unicorns will also be providing delivery service for an additional $25 donation
“Moveable Feast was founded on the idea of not just delivering food, but also hope for those in-need. And those services are more important than ever in light of COVID-19,” says Rebels co-captain and Bolton Hiller, Peter Jackson. “The unicorns have been a lot of fun, but are also helping Moveable Feast meet that critical need. And hopefully, we can deliver a little hope and joy of our own right now too.”
Looking forward, more events are planned throughout the spring. You can follow the Unicorns on Instagram or Facebook at @unicornswithacause or visit bit.ly/MFUnicorns to find out where the unicorns will be next and how you can help.
Bolton Hill Rebels include Steve Marker, Joe Palumbo, Andrew Parlock, Kendra Parlock, Michael Booth, Kristine Smets, Donna Hager, Debi Celnik, Kristin Seeberger, Joe Johnson, Stephen Martin, Abby Jackson and Peter Jackson. Neighbors Jon Kaplan and Susan Lawrence are also longtime volunteers and supporters of the team.
–Abby Jackson
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