Needham Man To Ride 100 Kilometers In Education Equity Fundraiser

NEEDHAM, MA — The Massachusetts Advocates for Children asked people to run, walk, or roll a 5k as part of its annual fundraiser, but one Needham resident found himself committed to doing much more. Arturo Perez is biking 100 kilometers for the fundraiser, after a friend challenged him to go the extra mile.

“One of my friends basically threw the gauntlet at me when I sent out the request for support,” Perez said in a video talking about his decision.

Perez’s friend promised to give him a dollar per kilometer if he did the extra distance, which comes out to about 62 miles.

“So he put a challenge in front of me, and well I guess once you do that you can’t really back out,” Perez said.

The Massachusetts Advocates for Children is a non-profit that works to remove barriers to education for all kids. Perez said it's easy to get stuck in your own bubble and not see the inequities in education, noting that this can affect kids in urban school districts and kids with disabilities the most. This year’s fundraiser—Run, Walk and Roll to Equity—will be held virtually from Friday to Sunday. Perez usually rides 60 to 100 miles per week, but he’s been kicking into high gear to prepare for this weekend.

“I really will be pushing myself hard to get that distance,” he said. “It’s a lot more than the longest I’ve ever done.”

But, that’s what made people excited about the fundraising.

“That’s what it’s all about at the end of the day,” said Perez.

Want to donate to Perez’s fundraiser? Click here.

Want to sign up for the 5k yourself? Click here.