Of the 12,500 New Jersey youth in foster care, approximately 500 “age out” of the system every year. Ill-equipped to live independently, many find themselves homeless within a year of leaving fos­ter care. Thanks to Life Link Homes, these former foster children now have a safe place to live where the staff of Robins’ Nest provides them with life-skills training, crisis intervention, counseling, assistance in acquir­ing employment, and the support and guidance they need to suc­cessfully become independent.

The Life Link Homes pro­gram is enriched by the involve­ment and assistance of many individuals, businesses, churches and civic groups. Residents are touched by the incredible gen­erosity of the many who give of their time, money and talents to make a difference in their lives. One such group is Kelly’s Kids Inc., which sponsors an annual charity bike ride to raise money in order to improve the lives of disadvantaged girls.

Kelly’s Ride was started in 2006 in memory of Kelly Marie Vodges, who was passionate about helping disadvantaged girls reach their potential. This is the third year that the Board of Directors of Kelly’s Kids has named Robins’ Nest as one of three recipients of the proceeds from their annual bike-a-thon.

When a number of the Life Link residents expressed an interest in participating in the June 2009 event, Kelly’s Ride volunteers jumped on board to give them a hand. Ashley Olsen, a cousin of Kelly Vodges and a certified personal trainer, volun­teered to meet with the residents on alternate Sunday after­noons to train and prepare them for the strenuous ride. As a professional trainer, she focuses on helping the young people set and work towards fit­ness goals which they can incor­porate into their life-style long after the June bike ride.

The Life Link resi­dents who participated in last year’s bike ride were among the first to sign up for the 2009 event. When asked why he wanted to ride again this year, Dave respond­ed, “It was great being able to do something physical that mattered.” Another resident June jumped in saying, “I really enjoyed myself. It was great meeting, interacting and getting to know so many people. The support at the end when you are finishing the race is awesome!”

With so many residents want­ing to participate in this year’s event, staff soon realized that Robins’ Nest has a bike shortage. Luckily, Cyle Hanker, took this problem on for his Eagle Scout project. He has begun a bike drive for the Life Link residents. Concerned with safety, Cyle is also securing donations for hel­mets for the Life Link Homes riders. After visiting Robins’ Nest, Cyle became so enthusias­tic that he joined Team Robins’ Nest and will participate in Kelly’s Ride with the Life Link Homes residents.

It seems everyone is getting into the spirit of Kelly’s Ride. Members of Team Robins’ Nest were anxious to start train­ing for the event which takes place on Saturday, June 6, 2009. Kelly’s Riders can choose from three starting points, all ending in Ocean City. Riders who begin in Medford will be challenged with a sixty-five mile course; those who start in Cedarbrook will ride forty miles; and those who start in Mays Landing will complete twenty-five miles. When the riders arrive in Ocean City, they will be greeted by enthusiastic supporters, an array of food, and music.

For more information about Kelly’s Ride or any of Robins’ Nest’s programs, contact Kim Wallace at 856-881-8689 or check out the Robins’ Nest website at www.robinsnestinc.org