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Trish Karter, CEO of Dancing Deer Baking Co. to Ride Bicycle 1,500 Miles for Homeless Families
Trish Karter, CEO of Dancing Deer Baking Co. to Ride Bicycle 1,500 Miles for Homeless Families
Published 03-31-09
Submitted by Dancing Deer Baking Company
15-Day Journey From Atlanta to Boston Will Shine Spotlight on Nation's Homeless Mothers and Their Families
Karter: "In a sinking economy, a company's lifeline is not just its cash balance, but its mission."
BOSTON, MA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 03/31/09 -- For two weeks in April and May, the CEO of Dancing Deer Baking Co. will shift focus away from managing in a down economy, as she undertakes an extreme personal journey on behalf of 600,000 homeless families throughout the U.S. 52-year-old Trish Karter will ride her road bicycle 1,500 miles over 15 days from Atlanta to Boston, stopping at homeless shelters along the way, and reaffirming Dancing Deer's philanthropic mission of ending family homelessness. Karter plans to arrive at her company's Boston headquarters just days before Mother's Day 2009 in a symbolic gesture to the mostly single mothers who struggle to keep their homeless families together.
"As an entrepreneur and single mother, I stand in awe and admiration of the hundreds of thousands of mothers across this country that wake up each morning not knowing if they'll be able to provide a bed for their children that night," said Karter. "This ride is my chance to hear these families' stories first hand and to put a human face on tough statistics that will worsen in 2009. In a sinking economy, a company's lifeline is not just its cash balance, but its mission. I encourage other business leaders to use their platforms as vehicles of social progress, which ultimately will create a better business climate and society for us all."
The goal of The Dancing Deer Mother's Day Ride is to make a profound and lasting difference in the lives of families living on the edge of homelessness by raising awareness for the issue and supporting organizations that work tirelessly to end it. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, every year, 600,000 families with 1.35 million children experience homelessness in the U.S. Homeless families span all ethnicities and social classes, and the problem is expected only to worsen in 2009 due to the nationwide economic crisis and housing crunch. This ride comes in the wake of a March 2009 study which reports that a staggering one out of every 50 children in the U.S. experience homelessness. The largest percentage of homeless children is under the age of five.
During the ride, which takes place from April 22-May 6 during Dancing Deer's 15th anniversary, Karter will visit 15 cities along the East Coast over 15 days: Atlanta, GA; Athens, GA; Augusta, GA; Columbia, SC; Charlotte, NC; Raleigh, NC; Richmond, VA; Washington, DC; Baltimore, MD; Lancaster, PA; Philadelphia, PA; Trenton, NJ; New York, NY; Hartford, CT; and Boston, MA. Karter plans to stop at family homeless shelters where she will bring the Deers' tradition of gingerbread house making to the families temporarily living in the shelters, and spotlight initiatives to solve the problem and end homelessness.
An environmentalist and philanthropist at heart, Karter has infused the Dancing Deer ethos with her own personal values. Since its founding in 1994, Dancing Deer has pursued a broad mission of doing good while doing well: building philanthropic efforts to end homelessness into the core of the business model, leading efforts in the natural food and green packaging movement, innovating ways to empower the workforce, and advocating for socially responsible choices. In 2001, Dancing Deer launched the Sweet Home Project in partnership with the Boston-based nonprofit, One Family, Inc. Through the project, 35 percent of the revenues from a designated product line fund the One Family Scholars program, which provides college scholarships for homeless mothers as a pathway out of poverty. During the ride, all online donations and proceeds from the Sweet Home line will be used to build Scholars programs outside of Massachusetts.
Funding for the ride is made possible through a grant from The Paul and Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation. Additional sponsors and partners include One Family, Inc., the National Alliance to End Homelessness, Louder Than Words, refine + focus, CF Dynamics, Inc., MonkeyMedia Software, Assos of Switzerland, Belmont Wheelworks, Garmin, and Trek.
Karter's journey will be documented in real time at www.dancingdeer.com/ride. From the Web site, people can share their own stories of family homelessness, follow Karter on a GPS-enabled map, read blog entries and see video from the road, and make donations to the cause -- either through the purchase of Sweet Home products or direct donations. Cyclists are encouraged to join her along the route by downloading cue sheets that outline her daily routes from city to city. Additionally, people can connect with Dancing Deer and Karter on Twitter by following @dancingdeer.
About Dancing Deer
Dancing Deer is a company of people who are passionate about food, nature, aesthetics and community. Known for yummy, all-natural cakes, cookies, brownies and baking mixes, the company has won many national awards and accolades for its distinctive products and innovative business practices. All employees are stakeholders in this women-owned enterprise. Sold in gourmet and natural food stores nationwide such as Whole Foods Market and Williams-Sonoma, the company also ships directly to consumers (www.dancingdeer.com 1-888-699-DEER) and offers creative marketing programs to corporate customers. When people are happy it shows in the food!
