Sharing the Love of Cycling Through the Steve Tilford Foundation
One Way Sunflower Gives Back to the Community That Supports Us
The freedom of pedaling a rolling stretch of gravel, immersed in the moment, but surrounded by it all. The stoke factor of planning your next route into the unknown, through miles of trails or roads you’ve never ridden. The meditative space of nature, punctuated by the rush of the river, knock of the woodpecker, or your own wheels on the road. The nervous excitement in the pit of your stomach at the starting line — and the celebration and camaraderie that follows after you finish.
We at Sunflower believe life is better outdoors — that the enjoyment of self-propelled movement through new-to-you terrain and the pride that comes with giving it your all on the race course should be shared with as many people as possible, including the next generation. Our business can be an engine for change, giving back to the environment and community that supports us.
One way we act on our business’s purpose is by funding youth education and youth sport, including as a supporter of Kansas Interscholastic Cycling League (Emergent League of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association, NICA) and helping found the Steve Tilford Foundation.
Launched in November 2020, the Steve Tilford Foundation was created to honor the life and legacy of the late, great cyclist Steve Tilford. A versatile rider and pioneer in the sport of cycling, Tilford represented the United States at the Elite World Championships in cyclocross, mountain bike, and road. Steve was from Topeka, Kansas, and was well-known among the local cycling community. He was a distinct rider, not just because of his results but because of the passion he brought to the sport. Steve was an intense advocate for cycling and its growth, particularly for young kids. He was known to donate his time to fostering young riders by putting on skills camps and events advocating for safety in cycling.
“Sunflower is founded on passion for the outdoors and the community, and we believe the Steve Tilford Foundation’s mission fits perfectly with who we are as a business,” says Matt Gilhousen, owner of Sunflower Outdoor and Bike and Board Member of the Steve Tilford Foundation. “We at Sunflower can leverage our 50 years of business and customer relationships to promote the Foundation’s mission, whether that means simple joint marketing efforts, hosting events as fundraisers, or getting our staff and friends engaged in the work of the foundation. Our collaboration is mutually beneficial to both organizations and the Sunflower community as a whole.”
The Steve Tilford Foundation has carried Tilford’s legacy forward to help young people of all backgrounds find and chase their passion through the sport of cycling by promoting education, mentorship, and access to quality cycling opportunities. For example, guided by its commitment to supporting youth cycling programs, clinics and organizations like NICA that are focused on young athletes throughout the country, STF and Sunflower helped host the first-ever NICA race in Lawrence, Kansas, at the Snake Farm Ranch. Check out the highlights from that event below:
Sunflower also hosted the 2022 Belgian Waffle Ride weekend of events as a fundraiser for the Steve Tilford Foundation to further build their capacity to support more young riders. The race brought hundreds of people for the Friday concert, Sunday rides, and other events that all raised money for the foundation. Flavia Oliveira Parks and Pete Stetina were crowned with the 2022 Quadruple title for the four-race BWR series (Stetina’s series writeup is worth a quick read). The Kansas race winners, Becca Fahringer and Adam Roberge, were joined by hundreds of riders who tackled the road, gravel, and single-track course, deemed one of the best gravel routes in the country by lead riders and the BWR event teams alike. Stay tuned for next year’s events — details will be coming soon — and check out a photo highlight of the day on our Instagram.
Trudi Rebsamen, Tilly’s Pies owner, and Peter Stetina served slices of pie to raise funds for the Steve Tilford Foundation in the Sunflower tent at the 2022 Belgian Waffle Ride expo.
Anyone in the Sunflower community can support the foundation, as Matt shares: “There are many ways to help the cause, including by making a simple purchase at the store or by volunteering during BWR weekend. Sunflower’s support allows STF to reach a much wider audience, which means the foundation can raise more money, find more resources, and do more good work.”
Photos by Dan Hughes.