Annual All Saints’, Concord, bike ride brings community together
By Christine McTaggart
Imagine an event that invited an entire community to come together and included the offerings of six churches, almost 100 local businesses, hundreds of volunteers, local law enforcement support and hundreds of participants in the event itself, all to benefit eight local ministries and nonprofits throughout that community.
Such an event exists, and it is the Tour de Saints, an annual bike ride for charity hosted by All Saints’, Concord. Each year, an average of 200 riders arrive in Concord for a premiere cycling event made possible by the collaborative efforts of dedicated neighbors. This year is the 14th Annual Tour de Saints, from which every dollar of its net proceeds goes back into the community.
Not a Race
The Tour de Saints is a bike ride, not a race. There is no prize for first place, but there is the fellowship of hundreds of people coming together to do something extraordinary.
Before the inception of the Tour de Saints, All Saints’ hosted a community-wide fundraiser that was almost as big an undertaking. Every other year, the Concord community came together for a yard sale that was part flea market and part auction, raising on average about $45,000 for local charities. All Saints’ classrooms were converted into mini-shops, and the parking lot filled with tents and food. The year before the Tour de Saints came to be, it was
acknowledged that the yard sale had run its course, and conversations began to take place about what would replace it.
“I was one of a handful of parishioners who were active cyclists,” said Ragan Kearns, one of the ride’s founders. “And we chitchatted about doing this. There was some excitement about how this might be a really great charity ride because we had active cyclists in the parish.” Those discerning the ride’s potential realized that food would need to be a part of it, as it had been an integral presence during all yard sales throughout the years. Said Kearns, “Susan Furr, the captain of our church kitchen, said she didn’t know about [cycling] but would handle the food if we could figure out the bike stuff. And I thought, great, because I don’t know anything about that!”
So Kearns began exploring making the ride a reality by mapping out potential routes throughout Cabarrus and Rowan counties. He identified churches along the routes, including Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist and Presbyterian churches, and approached them about serving as potential rest stops for riders. All agreed to help, offering their buildings and parking lots. From there, he started talking to businesses around Concord, explaining the event and offering them the chance to be sponsors. They accepted, and today, almost 100 local businesses continue to support the event.
“I might have had a little bit to do with getting things going,” said Kearns, “but I like to tell people that I consider myself more of an orchestra conductor, because there’s no way one person could have put this together by themselves. It happened because of every bit of 100 different volunteers doing things at different levels.”
Facing Outward
Kearns speaks the truth. The Tour de Saints is a bike ride that offers three routes of different lengths: a 50-mile ride, a 50K and a 100K. The ride begins and ends at All Saints’, the routes winding through the urban areas of Concord and rural roads throughout Cabarrus and Rowan counties. Riders include recreational cyclists, experienced cyclists and several university cycling teams. They are supported along the way by teams of volunteers, including the churches that serve as rest stops every 10 miles; support and gear vehicles, or “SAG wagons,” for riders that tire or need assistance; motorcycle escorts provided by members of the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Department and Concord Police Department who volunteer their time to keep the riders safe, as the roads the routes follow cannot be closed during the event; the local ham radio club, which provides communications support in rural areas where cell phone service is lost; and the All Saints’ kitchen crew, which nourishes riders and volunteers alike with a feast that includes sandwiches, wraps, side dishes, desserts, and even a beer garden provided by Cabarrus Brewery, a local brewery and event sponsor.
“The Tour de Saints has a reputation for being a well-supported ride,” said Joy Marie De Block, one of the Tour de Saints organizers. “And we have this reputation for the best lunch of any charity ride in the area, so we always have to live up to that every year!”
Unlike fundraisers of a similar nature, which often use a pledge-based performance approach, the first 12 years of the Tour de Saints raised funds strictly through rider entrance fees, with event costs covered by local business sponsorships.
100% of the proceeds from the Tour de Saints goes to provide outreach services to eight local charities: AYA House, Early Childhood Foundation of Cabarrus County, Cabarrus Meals on Wheels, CVAN, Community Free Clinic, Habitat for Humanity, Cooperative Christian Ministry and Salvation Army’s Tucker Center of Hope. In the 13 years it has run, the Tour de Saints has welcomed 2,610 riders, raising and donating approximately $150,000, along with 25,000 pounds of food for the Cooperative Christian Ministry food bank.
The Cooperative Christian Ministry food bank holds a special place in the hearts of All Saints’, as it, and the Community Free Clinic, has its founding roots in the church. Working for the good of the community is fundamental to the congregational life of All Saints’; not only does the church host the Tour de Saints, it also offers the annual “All Saints’ After Dark,” a mini-course series that offers classes on painting, cooking or photography, the proceeds of which support the same eight ministries as the Tour de Saints.
“It’s a philosophy [All Saints’ has] with our fundraising,” said De Block. “It’s all facing outward. It’s all inviting the community in to help us, and then having all those funds go right back out again. The fundraising never stays in.”
True Community
The Tour de Saints continues to grow. On the day of the event, rain or shine, 200 or more riders of all levels and abilities arrive to depart on routes that take them through city streets and farm country, and the energy is palpable. Volunteers of all ages come from churches, businesses and, above all, All Saints’, to support them and give them a good day.
No rider is ever left behind, and not just because of the outstanding support provided by law enforcement volunteers and the safety and ham radio teams. Riders encourage each other along the way, and the radio operators who follow notify the finish line when the last riders are approaching the end of the route.
“One of the traditions we have for the last riders is all of the volunteers still working [leave whatever they’re doing and] line the last half mile and clap them in,” said Ken Goodwin, All Saints’ member and Tour de Saints volunteer, with a smile.
“Cowbells and whistles—just whatever they have, giving the last guy more celebration than the first guy ever got,” laughed Kearns.
Two new traditions were added in 2025. The first was the addition of space during the post-ride luncheon for the eight recipient ministries to have a table where race participants and attendees could learn more about their work.
The second is the result of those wanting to offer support. As the event has become a staple of the community, individuals not directly involved in the event or able to participate began to inquire how to support it anyway. The answer was the launch of a new giving program called Friends of Tour de Saints, providing a way for anyone who wants to support the fundraiser to donate a financial gift.
Over the course of 14 years, the Tour de Saints has been an example of what can happen when a community comes together to do something good. Churches that first agreed to allow use of their space and property now often provide the food and refreshments they serve at their rest stops. Businesses that supported the first ride have remained, with others joining in. Scout troops and retirees work side by side, supporting and cheering riders of every age, skill and speed.
“It’s really neat to see how the community does support it,” said Goodwin. “[All Saints’] may be the lead of it, but all of these other people and places that get involved, whether as a sponsor or a rest stop site—the community involvement is really neat to see. I think the parish gets a lot of pride out of that.”
“It’s an all-hands-on-deck kind of an event,” said Kearns. “We—All Saints’ and the community—really enjoy coming together to do things, and the Tour de Saints gives us that opportunity.”
2026 Tour de Saints
The 2026 Tour de Saints is taking place Saturday, August 29, and you are invited! Visit tourdesaints.com to learn all about it and:
- Register to ride (opens July 1)
- Volunteer
- Donate as a Friend of Tour de Saints
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Christine McTaggart is the communications director for the Diocese of North Carolina.
