Events & Rides

Haitian Flag Day Ride & Fête 2026 was powered by community, 

and we are grateful for everyone who rode, attended, donated, volunteered, and supported us.

The turnout was incredible, the vibes were amazing, and seeing Haitian culture and cycling come together like this felt powerful. It was a reminder of what can happen when people gather around a shared purpose.

We're also grateful to our sponsors who helped make the day possible:

• Market Bar BK for hosting us
• Papa Rozier for donating an elegantly curated Haitian wellness basket
• Linda Desmangles for providing a beautiful original painting
• Burrowes Brothers Bikes for supporting with a tune-up package
• Little Mo Wine for contributing an award-winning bottle of Barbancourt

Your support helped create a memorable celebration while advancing the mission of Thrive Haïti.

Thanks to your support, we've sent our first Vélo Lakay shipment of donated cycling equipment to Haïti.

Thank you for being part of the journey.

Ride & Fête 2026

May 17 | Brooklyn, NY

Celebrate Haitian Flag Day with purpose.

Ride & Fête • A Living Tradition

Ride & Fête is the origin story and where so much of this began.
An annual Haitian Flag Day celebration blending cycling, culture, music, food, and community.

        Over the years, Ride & Fête has become:

• A unique and creative space to celebrate Haitian pride and resilience
• A gathering point for cyclists and supporters, the Haitian community and allies
• An exciting way to raise awareness and support for cyclists in Haïti
• A reminder that joy, culture, and impact can exist in the same place

6 years of riding for culture and community:

 

#CenturiesforHaïti • Over 2,500 Miles & Counting

#CenturiesforHaïti turns long days in the saddle into long-term support for riders in Haïti.

So far, Handal has logged over 2,500 miles in #CenturiesforHaïti solidarity rides - each mile moving the mission forward and carrying the story of cyclists who deserve access to gear, training, and opportunity.

        Those miles represent:

• Commitment and resilience from riders who choose to go long
• Conversations and awareness raised with every hour on the bike
• Momentum for Vélo Lakay and future programs on the ground

        For 2026, we’re inviting more riders and clubs to join us and:

• Help push our total well beyond 2,500 miles
• Create new #CenturiesforHaïti challenges with your team or club
• Use your next big ride as a way to raise support and share the mission

 

Community Rides & Club Collaborations

Cyclists are pack animals, and we love showing up for the community.

We often join group rides and events organized by local cycling clubs. While we carry our mission with us, it's mostly for the love of cycling, to listen, learn, and sometimes those miles into mini-awareness moments.

        These rides:

• Build deeper relationships with the broader cycling community
• Introduce new riders to the story of Thrive Haïti and Vélo Lakay
• Create opportunities for clubs to align their rides with a meaningful cause
• Show that this mission doesn’t exist in a bubble - it moves with the community

If you’re part of a crew and would like us to ride with you, co-host a themed ride, or turn one of your dates into a Thrive Haïti awareness or fundraising ride, we’d love to connect.

Why These Events Matter

Our rides and events are not just dates on a calendar. They are:

• Proof that the Haitian cycling community is alive, present, and growing
• Touch points where people experience the mission firsthand
• Platforms for telling the stories and sharing the needs of young riders in Haïti
• Engines for raising awareness, gear, funding, and long-term support

Every flyer from the past, every mile already ridden, and every future ride all point to the same thing: a movement building momentum for youth in Haïti.

 

How to Plug In

There are several ways to get involved with Events & Rides:

Join Ride & Fête

Host a Thrive-themed ride or event

Take on a #CenturiesforHaïti challenge

Send us an invite to ride with your club or crew

Sponsor a ride as a brand, shop, or organization

Complete an interest form on the Join Us or Partners & Sponsors pages to start the conversation.