Jerry Gross and his wife Ann were watching the news when they saw a story about a 99-year-old man in England who started a fundraiser in which he set out to walk 100 laps of his back garden before his 100th birthday to raise money for the U.K.’s National Health Service as it battles COVID-19.
“I thought, ‘Hey, that was pretty good. What could I do?’” Gross said.
His daughter had told him about the YMCA of Centre County’s anti-hunger program, which is working hard to feed children not attending school because of the COVID-19 crisis.
As he looked at the .6 mile loop that circles through The Village at Penn State property, and as he thought of his upcoming 83rd birthday, and a plan came together.
Just like that, the Laps for Lunches fundraiser was born.
But, 83 laps on his bicycle didn’t seem like a big enough challenge for the recreational peddler. He decided to add a zero and set out to raise $830 for the program by riding 830 laps around The Village before his on June 27th birthday.
“A dollar a lap … that is accessible to people,” Gross said.
So far he is off to a blazing start. “There has been a lot of enthusiasm and people have been very supportive.”
He is ahead of his planned pace of averaging 12 laps a day, having already completed more than 120 trips around the loop, which now allows him to take a day off, if needed, because of the weather.
His wife said he is “pretty motivated,” and on a very breezy day recently, where the wind was howling in his face, he tackled an uphill section of the loop. He managed 20 laps.
The fundraiser has already surpassed its goal of $830 dollars and Gross thinks they may be able to double the original goal. But while he hopes they continue to raise money, he joked he isn’t going to ride any extra laps.
Those who wish to support his cause can donate to the Centre County YMCA’s anti-hunger program in the Laps for Lunches name.
Who knows how much money he may be able to raise; after all, the 99-year-old man in England raised more than $9 million after he started with an original goal of $1,250.
No matter how much he raises, Gross said he is just glad to be able break up the monotony of life in quarantine and have a way to give back.
“This is a way we can help out a little,” he said.
And with each lap, he is helping to fight hunger in a big way and inspiring others to do the same.
