featured image: Jeremy Long
When PEC announced a new fundraising option for the 2025 Public Lands Ride, Lisa Kennedy grabbed the opportunity by the handlebars. New this year, riders who register as a fundraiser and raise at least $500 can ride the course of their choice for free and get camping and special swag items from our partners. Our board is also matching gifts from new donors, so fundraising efforts will be doubled. All donations support PEC’s work to advance clean energy policies in Harrisburg, to expand trail networks throughout Pennsylvania, and to restore watersheds and forests.
A Pennsylvania native based in Lancaster, Kennedy didn’t have much experience with grassroots fundraising. She started a GiveSmart campaign, took to Instagram to encourage donations, and tapped her ever-expanding cycling network.
Within a matter of days, she had more than doubled her goal.
“And I don’t even think my mom has donated yet,” she said.
Kennedy attended her first Public Lands Ride in 2021. At the time, she was new to gravel biking and didn’t know many people in the sport. When a friend recommended the event, she was drawn to its emphasis as a ride, not a race, and the fact that it celebrates and supports public lands.
“Plus, you really can’t beat Pennsylvania in the fall,” she said.
The laid-back, friendly culture of the event welcomed her into a community of riders and a type of cycling that had previously felt intimidating as a newcomer. When she saw someone wearing a t-shirt from the same bike shop that she frequents back in Lancaster, Kennedy introduced herself. She went on to meet the people who are now her core group of friends.
“It was the perfect environment I needed to crack everything wide open into what gravel cycling is and all Pennsylvania has to offer,” Kennedy said. “It was great to watch those people succeed and learn from them.”
The Public Lands Ride offers three course options: the short course is 22 miles; the mid course is 42 miles; and the long course is 65 miles. Aid stations along the way supply refreshments, and a post-ride barbecue on the shores of Black Moshannon Lake celebrates everyone’s accomplishments.
“Anyone can do this ride. It’s super accessible,” Kennedy said, adding that it’s not about who crosses the finish line first. “It’s about enjoying where you are with the people who are with you.”
That first Public Lands Ride gave her the gravel riding fever. She went on to participate in UnPAved Susquehanna River Valley and connect with local bike shops to ride in their events. Her Instagram is filled with photos from her adventures and captions that often read like journal entries, documenting both the highs and lows of Kennedy’s life on and off the saddle.
In 2023, Kennedy received a cancer diagnosis. Fortunately, doctors caught it early, which she described in a post as “the best case scenario in a worst case situation.” She concluded the post with optimistic words of self-care and motivation, including: “Just keep pedaling.”
The side effects of treatments took their toll, but gravel riding provided a much-needed reprieve, time to connect with nature and a boost of dopamine. Fall found her back at Black Moshannon, surrounded by friends and ready to conquer the miles ahead.
“This event has really carried me through every year of cycling,” Kennedy said. “It’s the one I look forward to.”
When she finished the ride last year, Lisa thought about how much it had been part of growing her cycling community and her own confidence. She wanted more people to experience that feeling.
“It’s one of those things, you hold it close to your chest because it’s a really special event,” she said, “but you also want to share how great it is.”
Her fundraising campaign has generated an enthusiastic response. As of June, she had raised more than $1,000. The money will support PEC’s mission to preserve and protect the outdoors as well as expand access to outdoor recreation.
At the 2025 Public Lands Ride, on Sep. 27, Kennedy plans to complete the longest course, at 65 miles. She’s looking forward to seeing her regular group of friends and to meet attendees new to the sport.
“There’s always a new person to gravel cycling that we take in,” Kennedy said.
Fundraising for the event has also inspired her to get more involved in environmental advocacy and stewardship. A hope that PEC has for all who attend the Public Lands Ride is that they leave feeling more connected with the outdoors and go on to volunteer with their local trail group or attend a community cleanup.
“There are a ton of ways we can give back,” Kennedy said. “I think this is a really great way to get involved.”
To donate to or register for the 2025 Public Lands Ride — whether as a fundraiser, volunteer, or regular rider — visit pecpa.org/PLR.