For the fourth year in a row, Tyler Zipperer, founder of Biked Goods and coach for Team Summit’s mountain biking program, has organized a holiday fundraiser to provide baked treats for families in need in Summit County and surrounding communities.
This year, Zipperer once again enlisted the help of his Team Summit athletes to support the cause. On Wednesday, December 18, Zipperer and about 10 athletes, along with a few parents, gathered at Cool River Coffee House to bake cookies for Smart Bellies’ holiday meal boxes.
“The fundraiser starts as an online campaign where people donate money to help me buy the ingredients for the cookies,” Zipperer explained. “Any extra funds raised go directly to Smart Bellies to support their mission.”
With the generous support of Cool River Coffee House, which provided the kitchen space for the event, the team baked over 500 homemade cookies. The recipes, contributed by the athletes, will be featured in Zipperer’s upcoming cookbook, Biked Goods, set for release in 2025.
In addition to fostering team spirit, Zipperer emphasized the broader impact of their work. “I remind the athletes that many people and organizations donate their time to make our programs successful,” he said. “Even though we’re adding just one cookie to a meal box, that homemade treat could make a big difference for a family or a child.”
After baking and packing the cookies, Zipperer delivered them to Smart Bellies, where they were included in one of 550 holiday meal boxes distributed to local families in need.
“When I first started this, we delivered 300 meal boxes,” Zipperer said. “Now they’re up to 550. The work they’re doing has almost doubled, and they’re able to do so much more than what I can do on my own.”
This annual initiative not only brings holiday cheer to families in need but also teaches Team Summit athletes the importance of giving back to their community.
Related topics:
