The Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County will host a memorial bike ride on Sunday, Oct. 18, honoring the life and legacy of Michael Johnson, the organization’s longtime CEO, celebrating the birthday of the late Madison community leader while raising funds for the non-profit organization.
The event,“Bike for Mike,” will begin at 11 a.m. at the Erica & Anthony Fleming Boys & Girls Club, 2001 Taft St. The ride will depart at noon and travel approximately four miles to the Vel Phillips statue on the downtown Capitol Square.
Peter Gray, a longtime Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County board member, a good friend of Johnson’s, and the ride’s organizer, says the event grew from an idea originally proposed by Johnson’s daughter.
“The whole impetus behind this was actually Michael’s daughter’s idea,” Gray tells Madison365. “She thought there should be a pre-White Party bike ride, and we should call it ‘Bike for Mike.’”
Johnson, the longtime president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County, died suddenly June 7. He spent nearly three decades in nonprofit leadership and community work, including more than 16 years leading BGCDC here in Madison.
During his tenure, Johnson helped expand the organization’s work in youth development, workforce readiness, education and community engagement.
After Johnson’s death, Gray and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County revisited the idea as a way to bring the community together and support Johnson’s family.
“We felt like we could do a community event to create a wonderful, positive opportunity for his family,” Gray says. “Michael loved to bike. He and I were cycling buddies, and I chaired for years and years the Boys and Girls Club’s annual bike ride fundraiser.”
Bike for Boys and Girls Club was a Madison tradition that brought together nearly a thousand people for a bike ride benefiting local youth and their families in Dane County. By 2021, BGCDC was calling the event MOVE4BGC, combining biking, running and walking rather than focusing exclusively on cycling. A couple of years later, it evolved into MOVE ’N’ GROOVE 4 BGC, incorporating live music and dancing.
Gray says the first year following Johnson’s death has been particularly difficult for his family, making this upcoming community gathering especially meaningful.
“It’s not easy for a family,” Gray says. “The first year is tough — that first birthday, that first wedding anniversary, all those firsts. It’s really challenging for the family.”
Johnson’s wife, Toya, and their three children are expected to attend the event.
The ride will follow a bike-friendly route, primarily using off-street paths, before arriving at the Vel Phillips statue. Gray said the destination was chosen because of Johnson’s role in helping bring the statue of the pioneering civil rights hero to Madison.
“It’s thanks to Michael that we have the Vel Phillips statue,” Gray says. “He was such a champion to get that done, so we thought it made sense to ride there.”
After arriving at the statue, participants can share lunch and spend time together. Boxed lunches from Juicy Organics will be available for pre-order and delivered to the statue. Riders can either end their ride there or join the group for the return trip to the Fleming Club.
For Gray, the ride is also a way to remember the breadth of Johnson’s impact on Madison.
“Michael was unique. He gave himself away,” Gray says. “It’s painful that we lost him at age 50 because he gave us so much, and he had so much more to give.
“I was really looking forward to what Michael was going to do in the next five years, and 10 years, and 15 years,” Gray adds. “Our Madison, our city, absolutely changed for the better, thanks to him. His fingerprints are on many things in this community.”
“Bike for Mike” is free and open to the public. In honor of Johnson’s 51st birthday, participants may make a $51 donation in his memory or give any amount.
