Our Founding Story
Pain Became
Purpose.
From the loss of a son to the building of a movement — this is the story of Bicycle Ride vs. Gun Violence and the people who refuse to let grief be the end of the story.
The Beginning
One Father's
Response.
On a summer night in 2019, Reggie Boyer received the call that every parent dreads. His son, Darrick Boyer, had been taken by gun violence — another name on a list that has grown too long in Akron, Ohio.
But Reggie Boyer is not the kind of man who folds in the face of grief. He is the kind who organizes. Within weeks of losing Darrick, Reggie gathered friends, neighbors, and strangers for a bicycle ride through Akron's neighborhoods — a procession of grief, purpose, and defiance.
That first ride became Bicycle Ride vs. Gun Violence. Darrick's name rides with us still.
Founded In Memory Of
Darrick Boyer
Taken by gun violence, 2019 · His name rides with us
"I couldn't bring Darrick back. But I could make sure his death meant something — that it changed something."
— Reggie Boyer, Founder
2019
The First Ride
Reggie Boyer organizes the first Bicycle Ride vs. Gun Violence following the loss of Darrick. Dozens show up. A movement is born.
2020
Growing Roots
Despite the pandemic, monthly Unity Rides continue. The community grows. First partnerships with Akron schools and churches established.
2021–22
Three Pillars Emerge
Youth mentorship program launched. First health screenings held at community barbershops. The vision expands beyond rides to a full-spectrum community intervention.
2023–24
Bicycle Ride vs. Gun Violence Expands
Organization launches pedalandpurpose.org, its digital home. 501(c)(3) status secured. Mentorship matches active. Whole Man Initiative launched.
2025
The Work Continues
500+ participants reached. 12+ neighborhoods served. State-of-the-art Whole Man Initiative expanded. 14 youth on mentorship waitlist. The need grows — and so do we.
Our Growth
From One Ride
to a Movement.
What began as a single father's act of grief and defiance has grown into a multi-program organization serving 12+ Akron neighborhoods.
Bicycle Ride vs. Gun Violence is the organization — three pillars, three funding streams, one unifying purpose: keeping Akron's people alive, whole, and thriving.
We are not a charity that hands things out. We are a community that shows up — on bikes, in barbershops, in classrooms, and in hospital corridors — building the kind of social infrastructure that makes violence less likely and long life more possible.
Join the Movement ✦
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Movement as Medicine
We believe physical motion — on a bicycle, on a trail, in a community — is one of the most powerful interventions against violence, depression, and chronic disease.
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Intentional Presence
Showing up — consistently, reliably, with full attention — is the most radical thing an adult can do for a young person who has never had that modeled.
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Dignity First
Every person who walks through our doors deserves respect, not pity. Our programs are built around dignity, self-determination, and the belief that Black lives have infinite worth.
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Evidence & Accountability
We track outcomes, publish results, and hold ourselves to the same standards we ask of the systems we challenge. Good intentions without results are not enough.
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Community as Infrastructure
Churches, barbershops, schools, and block associations are not just venues — they are the most durable infrastructure Akron has. We build through them, not around them.
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Legacy Over Legacy
Darrick Boyer's name rides with us because every life lost to violence deserves to mean something. We work to make that meaning concrete, lasting, and alive in the community.