With thousands of annual riders, the Ride has been a community-wide event since 1981 that inspires great camaraderie among teams, families and friends. Create a team and your organization’s logo will be printed exclusively on the back of each team rider’s T-shirt.
Ride for the Health of it
Bicycling is a great source of low-impact, cardiovascular activity. Physical activity can help improve state of mind, increase energy levels and even help lower health care costs.
Ride for the Performing Arts
The Ride helps support UPAF's 36 performing arts groups. Celebrate the start of Milwaukee’s festival season with your team members at the Finish Line Party at the Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard Stage on the Summerfest Grounds; non-riders are welcome too!
Team Recruitment Tips
Partner with your company’s wellness program and/or UPAF Employee Giving Coordinator to encourage a joint campaign.
Personalize the recruitment e-mail provided online and send to your fellow employees and contacts.
Encourage co-workers to forward the recruitment e-mail to their contacts.
Follow up the e-mail with in-person asks.
Hold a kick-off event or luncheon.
Recruit team members from outside your company, such as customers, clients, family members and friends.
Hang posters in high-traffic areas such as the office lobby, elevators, water coolers, time clocks, kitchen areas and break rooms.
Promote the event at different stages of recruitment through newsletters, internal e-mail, websites or other publications.
Include the UPAF’s Ride for the Arts, sponsored by Miller Lite, brochure with payroll.
Form a recruitment committee and ask each member to set weekly recruiting goals.
Request a UPAF representative to visit your organization and make a Ride presentation.
Important Dates to Remember for Teams
March 1 - Ride Registration Opens May 2 - Deadline for Teams to Register May 14-18 - Ride Team Packet Pickup at the Marcus Center May 23 - All Ride packets delivered to teams with 50 or more participants
All team fees, including corporate subsidies, must be paid in full before receiving your team materials (T-shirts, bibs, etc.). Team packets must be picked up from the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts by 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 2. We cannot guarantee your materials will be available for pick-up on-site on the day of the Ride (Sunday, June 3). Packets can be picked up starting May 14 at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. Enter at 123 W. State Street and take the elevator to the 4th Floor. Beginning Tuesday, May 29th, enter at the front lobby area of the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts on Water Street between the hours of Noon-6 p.m. Teams with 50 or more members will have their packets delivered by May 23.
In order to pay your team fees, please call UPAF Operations Director Susan Dragieff at (414) 270-4489 with a credit card number or mail a check to UPAF's Ride for the Arts, P.O. Box 88892, Milwaukee, WI 53288-0040.
Team of the Year is Back!
The 10 largest teams from 2011 will be eligible to compete for the Team of the Year trophy. The team that recruits the largest percentage of new riders (a minimum of 20% increase) will win the trophy, which will be awarded to the wining team’s Captain at a special ceremony on the Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard Stage at the Finish Line Party.
THE TOP 10 TEAMS FROM 2011 ARE:
Wheel and Sprocket with 551 riders
Aurora Health Care with 274 riders
Northwestern Mutual with 202 riders
Rockwell Automation with 193 riders
Team Miller Lite with 142 riders
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra with 101 riders
Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO) with 77 riders
Children’s Hospital and Health Systems with 72 riders
WE Energies Pedal Power with 71 riders
Rexnord with 68 riders
Last year, Rockwell Automation Team Captain Steve Smith took home the coveted title after increasing his team by 144%
