When it became apparent last spring that—because of the pandemic—JDRF “destination rides” across the country could not take place in 2021, the North Carolina Ride Team sprang into action.

Led by N.C. Chapter Development Manager and Ride Lead Danielle Hayes, riders across the state made their wishes known: They wanted to find a North Carolina event in which they could ride (and fundraise) as a JDRF team.

Their wishes came true…beyond their wildest dreams!

The Bobby Labonte Foundation (BLF), founded by NASCAR Champion and Hall-of-Famer Bobby Labonte in 2003, hosts an annual charity bike ride. For its 10^th anniversary in 2021, BLF decided to make the ride bigger and better. Combining Labonte’s passion for cycling with his passion for auto racing, BLF moved the ride’s start and finish lines to the famed Bowman Gray Stadium, an historic NASCAR short-track in Winston-Salem, and renamed it the “Labonte Roubaix” (pronounced “roo-BAY”), after one of the most legendary pro cycling events, the Paris Roubaix, where cyclists finish the race by taking laps on a racetrack.

When Danielle approached BLF about partnering with JDRF and allowing us to bring a large contingent of riders, BLF not only wholeheartedly agreed, but also designated JDRF as the sole beneficiary of the 2021 Labonte Roubaix and its ancillary programs, including a cocktail party, silent auction, and raffle!

What an incredible—and humbling—show of support.

More than 60 JDRF riders (out of the 280+ who participated, a BLF record) made the most of this opportunity by using the Labonte Roubaix to raise funds and awareness for type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. On top of their personal fundraising efforts, the Labonte Roubaix, presented by longtime JDRF supporters Wake Forest Baptist Health Sports Medicine and Bee Safe Storage and Wine Cellar, raised more than $40,000 for JDRF!

However, the financial success of this partnership is just part of the story. In addition to dozens of JDRF riders coming from across the state, other JDRF volunteers—of all ages—made the trek to Winston-Salem on August 21 to cheer on riders at the start and finish lines and to provide support at the three rest stops along the way. In many cases, it was the first time our JDRF N.C. families and young adults had seen each other since the pandemic began 18 months ago!

Saturday, August 21, was tremendously sunny, hot, and humid. Riders had the option of cycling a metric century (62 miles) or taking a 35-mile route in the countryside around Winston-Salem and the foothills. Regardless of the length of their route, the riders were thrilled to see friendly JDRF faces welcoming them, filling up their water bottles, and making PB&J sandwiches to power them for the next leg of their journey.

As members of Team JDRF caught their breath and tried to cool down over a celebratory lunch on the Bowman Gray track, their (exhausted) smiles said it all: “It was great to be back together, riding to cure diabetes! And, we’d like to make the Labonte Roubaix part of our regular JDRF Ride calendar going forward!”