Cycling Team Raised $350,000 for Homelessness Outreach

A 12-member team is traversing the country to fundraise for Catholic Charities and their housing operations.

Updated on Oct. 10, 2026 in Philanthropy

Cycling Team Raised $350,000 for Homelessness Outreach

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A 12-member cycling team has raised $350,000 for Catholic Charities Samaritan House locations during a 3,000-mile cross-country ride. The fundraising initiative seeks to address the national homelessness crisis affecting an estimated 1 million people.

Why it matters

Operators often engage with charitable initiatives to address local community crises while aligning with corporate social responsibility goals. This cross-country effort highlights the effectiveness of specialized, mission-driven fundraising campaigns.

The cycling team has raised $350,000 for this campaign, contributing to a total of $2.2 million generated for five Samaritan House locations since 2011. The current 45-day, 3,000-mile ride involves 12 participants raising funds through one-time gifts and a minimum of 1 cent per-mile donations.

The players

Tom Schwein

The founder of Samaritan Cycling USA who has cycled 38,000 miles since a near-fatal accident in 2015.

Catholic Charities

A national network of social service organizations that operates five Samaritan House shelters in Colorado.

The details

The 12-member cycling team manages its campaign by soliciting donations from individual contributors and corporate supporters based on the mileage covered during their 45-day trek. Beyond direct financial solicitation, the cyclists volunteer their time at Catholic Charities sites located along their route through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. These efforts support the operations of five Samaritan House shelters in Denver, Fort Collins, and Greeley.

The ministry began in 2011.
Tom Schwein survived a near-fatal accident in 2015.
The 12-member team departed San Diego on October 4, 2026.

Market Landscape

This campaign follows the operational pattern set by the 2011 founding of Samaritan Cycling USA. It updates the organization's fundraising trajectory, which has grown from $250,000 in 2015 to a multi-million dollar total contribution to housing services.

Business leaders should monitor how mission-aligned fundraising can generate significant capital for local community support services. Consider how per-mile or per-unit donation structures may be adapted for internal corporate social responsibility efforts.

The takeaway

Mission-driven athletic events provide a scalable model for increasing awareness and funding for local shelters. Operators can track the success of this campaign to identify potential partnerships for their own corporate social responsibility initiatives.