Lake Loop keeps us movin’

October 08, 2024| Community, Events, Fundraising, Recreation

By: Caitlin Doran

The Lake Loop – our annual bike, hike, or paddle challenge - keeps us moving, literally and figuratively!

The Loop, which took place on Sunday, is part of our efforts to bring recreation opportunities to our community through biking, hiking, and paddling. It’s also a fundraiser that helps raise support critically needed to keep our environmental, educational, community, and advocacy programs going and growing! 

I am happy to report that on both the participation and fundraising fronts, thanks to the hard work of our new events coordinator, Kari Constantine, and our entire community of staff, volunteers, and supporters, the Lake Loop was a rousing success! Nearly 170 cyclists, hikers, and paddlers joined us for this year’s event, and through the generosity of participants, donors, and sponsors, we surpassed our goal of raising $50,000 to continue protecting and improving our lake and community!  Congratulations to the following individuals who won prizes:

• Raised $100 or more (won seats on a 2025 Eco-cruise aboard the Floating Classroom): Christy Artiglere, Randy Artiglere, Colleen Lyons, Bonnie Nadzeika, Gary Whitman, William Woolley
• Top Individual Fundraiser (won paddle for six from Lake’s End Marina): Christy Artiglere
• Top Fundraising Team (won half-day boat rental and boating safety course from Bridge Marina): “Loops, I Did It Again!”

Thank you to everyone who went the extra mile and asked friends and family to support their ride, hike, or paddle.

Sponsorships, both monetary and in-kind, are also a big slice of the pie, when it comes to Lake Loop’s success. Join me, once again, in thanking these businesses and individuals, who provided funding or support to bring the 2024 Lake Loop to fruition.

We’re also extremely grateful to our four lake towns for supporting this event, Morris County, Roxbury Township Office of Emergency Management, Roxbury Township Fire Company 2, Roxbury PD, Jefferson Township Fire Company 2, Roxbury Township C.E.R.T., and the New Jersey State Police Marine Services Bureau, for keeping us safe, and to Cycle Craft employees and Bull Dog Cycling Club volunteers for providing safety and support to all riders. Larry Orlans, John Otto, Jessica Johnson, and Melissa McCutcheon get a shout-out here, too, for their incredible job marking the paddling and cycling routes. In all, around 50 volunteers generously donated their time on Saturday and Sunday, This event truly could not happen without volunteers! Thank you!

I’ll close by thanking everyone who supported this fundraiser and reminding readers that it’s not too late to be part of the event by giving a gift! We’re keeping our Lake Loop Campaign open through the end of Sunday, October 13, and all proceeds help us continue important initiatives, like implementing water quality improvement projects, educating elementary and high school students, bringing free and low-cost events and programs to our community, and advocating for our lake at all levels of government!

Did you snap a photo at this year’s Lake Loop? Please email it to info@lakehopatcongfoundation.org so we can include it in our 2024 Lake Loop photo album!