With a great deal of reluctance and regret the Hammond Kiwanis Club has decided to officially cease sponsorship of the group’s Tour de Tangipahoa Bicycle Ride. The decision to end the Tour, a fund raiser that has been part of the Hammond Kiwanis Club for just over 30 years, was not an easy one and it came only after much discussion and serious consideration by the club’s Board of Directors.

Among the reasons for no longer sponsoring the Tour were these: after two years without the ride because of the covid pandemic, bringing it back would have been almost like starting all over again; the past several rides were greeted with declining interest and the rewards earned from the ride against the effort required to put it on were simply not worth continuing; some doubts about the use of facilities at Southeastern Louisiana University where the ride was headquartered lingered; the
number of members who filled important roles in the Tour’s success were no long with the club; other members, some of whom had worked the Tour since its inception in1991, are no longer able to put forth the effort needed; the constant worry about possible adverse weather conditions; and a continuing concern over the safety of the riders in the face of increased traffic and some local driver hostility.

The Hammond Kiwanis Club’s officers and members extend the sincerest thanks to all the riders who made the Tour a success over the years. It was with joy each year that we welcomed the riders to the Tour and we will miss the many friendships that were established during the years we hosted the Tour. Through your generosity, our club was able to raise funds that were used for the many programs we support in the community. You were the reason for the Tour and we will not soon forget the role you played in assisting our club in so many ways for more than three decades. We wish many “happy rides” for all of you in the future.