Screen Shot 2014-09-05 at 3.17.55 PM24 Foundation is best defined by the word “community.” Community is what brings more than 500 people each year to Columbia, Md. to pedal to put cancer in its place. While the name “24 Foundation” is an attention grabber on its own, word of mouth extends farther to bring a variety of people together committed to the cause to fight cancer. Word of mouth brought Team Booty Tribe together. While members of Team Booty Tribe each joined 24 Foundation for different reasons, they together have become a strong force that saw great success for their first official event together.

In the summer of 2012, Robert Freedman read an article in the Baltimore Sun about a man named Bryan McMillian. In the article, McMillan was discussing sitting beside his friend in the hospital who was dying of cancer. The article also mentioned 24 Foundation – an organization Bryan has been involved with for many years. Rob networked via LinkedIn to get in touch with Bryan who then put him in touch with Amanda Meyers, recruitment director for 24 Foundation. Rob recruited his brother Scott who was an avid cyclist, along with a few friends and colleagues from Colliers International to form a team for the 2013 event. From there, Team Colliers was born.

“We had no idea what to expect and the simple fact was that we had an absolute blast!” Rob said. “We rode, we ate, we laughed, we raised money – it was just a very fun event with warm supportive riders, family and friends and strangers all coming together.”

Team Booty Tribe evolved from Team Colliers after Rob’s friend Deborah Adler wanted to ride in honor of her husband Harry, who was undergoing experimental cancer treatments. Together, Rob and Deborah spearheaded Team Booty Tribe and immediately began recruiting others to join them. The two pre-ordered 50 registrations and were fortunate to gain over 40 team members in the process.

With a solid team in place, Booty Tribe began ramping up their fundraising efforts by asking family and friends, as well as hosting “Bake your Booty Off” bake sales at various Colliers offices. As a new team for the 2014 24 Foundation Columbia, Team Booty Tribe collectively raised over $12,000 to support the fight against cancer. The team’s strong numbers in both membership and fundraising dollars was the driving force behind them winning the Rookie of the Year award.

“[24 Foundation] gives hope to people that don’t know what is next for them or friends or family,” Rob said. “It gives them a chance to try to ‘do something’ to beat a really crappy disease. For me, it checks a lot of boxes – I want to be outside, be with friends, be active, and camp outside a little. I like helping and raising money that you know will try to do some good. It has been a humbling experience of all the people that I have met, that have joined our team to support Deborah and Harry and me.”

To learn more how you can build your team and kick start your fundraising check out the tutorial pages below:

Also, don’t forget about chances to help you recruit for your team with the Atlanta Falcons Contest running now until the event on October 4-5th. Check out contest details here for your chances to win BOGO registration or a $10 discount!

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