"This Ride is our way of thanking Connecticut Veterans for their service."
Rider Mike Towey from Point72 Pacesetters
Mike Towey was one of the first handful of riders to join Len Miller on his century ride birthday celebration in 2012. The funds raised were donated to the charity of Len’s choice, the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center (CVLC). This ride for charity would later become The Ride for Our Vets as we know it today.
Mike, a Sector Executive at Point72, along with now retired Point72 Senior Director Perry Boyle, loved working with CVLC. Together, they created a partnership between Point72 Asset Management, L.P. (Point72) and CVLC.
Point72 has been the title sponsor for seven consecutive years. Their support has helped grow The Ride immensely, bringing in additional sponsors every year.
“[Veterans] put themselves at risk while protecting our country, and now they need our help as COVID-19 has the potential to be highly disruptive to our community of veterans. We are expecting a wave of job loss and evictions resulting from this crisis and so it’s more important than ever to fund CVLC so they can help veterans in need to get back on their feet.”
“This Ride is our way of thanking Connecticut Veterans for their service,” Mike says of why he and his fellow Point72 Pacesetters teammates are participating this year despite the global pandemic. “They put themselves at risk while protecting our country, and now they need our help as COVID-19 has the potential to be highly disruptive to our community of veterans. We are expecting a wave of job loss and evictions resulting from this crisis and so it’s more important than ever to fund CVLC so they can help veterans in need to get back on their feet.”
“At CVLC, every dollar goes a long way. It’s a small organization with a high impact and high return on investment,” said Mike. “It’s an amazing cause – supporting our veterans. Veterans are our heroes and everyone who works at CVLC is a hero too. I view CVLC as heroes helping heroes.”
“I’ll be alone, but I’ll be able to participate through social media. I can still feel like I’m a part of a larger group and effort.”
With the new virtual platform, Mike said he is looking forward to seeing how it all comes together: “I’ll be alone, but I’ll be able to participate through social media. I can still feel like I’m a part of a larger group and effort.”
In the summer, his favorite rides are in just around the area, riding from Rowayton, CT up to South Salem, NY and back. Mike’s completed many if not all the 100-mile routes in Connecticut. One day, he hopes to ride a couple legs of the Tour de France and also tackle the roads of Italy.
“I really enjoy the freedom of riding. Fresh air. Great scenery. Comradery,” said Mike. “You leave your devices at home, get out, and be present. You get to bond with friends.”
On Ride Day, Saturday, June 13th, 2020, Mike will ride 25 miles for The Ride for Our Vets in honor of his late father, Hugh Towey, who served as a Marine during WWII.
"We can never thank people enough for putting their life on the line to protect American freedoms and liberties."
“My Dad was one of those silent heroes in my book. He went to fight for the United States. He came back and never talked about it. He never bragged. I know he went through some tough times,” said Mike. “On that day, I think about him a lot.”
CVLC asked Mike what he would say as a thank you to Veterans if he could.
“I would say that these are the situations where words will fail you. We can never thank people enough for putting their life on the line to protect American freedoms and liberties,” said Mike. “The least we can do is alleviate the problem of veteran homelessness. It is inexcusable. There should be no homeless veterans in America.”
Contact Kharl Reynado if you have questions or comments!