‘First Ride for Opportunity raises $18K’

VERONA, Wis. (by Kimberly Wethal Unified Newspaper Group ConnectVerona.com)Six weeks ago, Kristin and Brian Kellerman weren’t planning a cycling fundraiser. Yet, on Saturday, Sept. 14, they were holding the first “Ride for Opportunity” at Verona Community Park — and it became a healing experience for them, Kristin told the Press.

The Kellermans’ son, Will, was a student athlete at Verona Area High School and donned the number “34” on the basketball team. Will always cheered for the underdog, she said. He died in November 2017 in a rollover car accident not long after his 21st birthday.

“When you lose somebody and you don’t have a cause to work for – especially as a mom, we put our whole lives into our kid, and then when that kid isn’t there, there’s this huge void,” she said. “So this event, this foundation, it doesn’t replace Will in any way, shape or form, but it does get us out of bed.”

In July, they were approached by friends Tim and Sandy Wolf, who asked if they’d be interested in putting on a biking event for their nonprofit, Opportunity 34. The Ride for Opportunity event raised around $18,000 for the nonprofit, which provides scholarships for postsecondary education to students…

(Continue reading the original story at ConnectVerona.com…)