The Rotary Club of Naperville Sunrise is sending cyclists down three routes on Sunday, Aug. 9: a 21-mile loop through Oswego, a 41-mile push to Yorkville, or a full 62-mile metric century to Silver Springs State Park along the Fox River.
It's the club's 29th Annual Rotary Ride, starting and finishing at Trek Bicycles and Naperville Running Company, 3416 S. Route 59. Early bird registration at $40 per person closes Thursday, July 31. The price jumps to $50 on Friday, Aug. 1, according to the club's event page at napervillerotaryride.com.
What the money supports
Every dollar raised goes to three local programs: Grow Wellness In School Counseling, which has provided on-site therapy for more than 200 middle and high school students in Aurora and Naperville since 2022; the Little Friends Respite program in Warrenville, which offers free weekly supervised care for 53 children with disabilities and their siblings; and Naperville YMCA Preschool Scholarships.
The Sunrise Rotary's three signature events generate more than $60,000 annually for local nonprofits, according to an NCTV17 profile of the club earlier this year.
Route details and logistics
All three routes are out-and-back, SAG-supported (support-and-gear vehicles trail the riders), with staffed rest stops stocked with food and drinks. Riders can roll out as early as 6:30 a.m. and no later than 10 a.m. Cyclists tackling the 62-mile route must start by 8:30 a.m.; the 41-mile route requires a start by 9:15 a.m.
Helmets are required. All non-motorized bikes are welcome. The course follows open roads, so riders must obey traffic laws.
Registered riders receive a custom tech T-shirt and pre-ride snacks. All registrations are final, rain or shine.
Parking and Route 59 construction
Parking at the start/finish location is limited. Riders driving to 3416 S. Route 59 should plan extra time: IDOT road work between McCoy Drive and Artesian Road began July 13 and runs through November, with intermittent daytime lane closures, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Who's behind it
This year's ride is sponsored by Jane DiGiovine in memory of her husband Carmen DiGiovine, a longtime Sunrise Rotary member and avid cyclist. DHJJ Certified Public Accountants is the presenting sponsor, with Gerald Subaru of Naperville and Gary and Gloria Baumgartner as major sponsors.
The Rotary Club of Naperville Sunrise, chartered in 1991, is one of four Rotary clubs in Naperville and has about 45 members.
This week in Naperville
- Through Thursday, July 31 | Early bird registration for the 29th Annual Rotary Ride, $40/person | napervillerotaryride.com
- Sunday, Aug. 9, 6:30–10 a.m. start | 29th Annual Rotary Ride | Trek Bicycles/Naperville Running Company, 3416 S. Route 59 | $40 early bird/$50 after July 31 | Three route options (21, 41, 62 miles); helmets required; limited parking on-site
