#PlumeStrong 2024 Campaigns to Benefit Street Child and Ron Brown Scholar Program

Press Release

PALO ALTO, Calif. — Aug. 19, 2024 — Now in its fourth year, #PlumeStrong is proud to announce two significant fundraising events: the #PlumeStrong Cycling Challenge (#PSCC24) and a Gala Philanthropic Dinner. Plume and its employees, with the help of generous corporate sponsors and individuals, are seeking to raise €1,000,000 to continue #PlumeStrong’s mission to provide education and opportunity to communities in need.

Recently, #PlumeStrong and Street Child committed to continue their partnership. This year, the focus shifts to Sierra Leone, a country where access to secondary education in rural areas remains a critical need. The funds raised during the #PSCC24 will benefit Street Child’s work in Sierra Leone. The collaboration will focus on developing 15 rural secondary schools, providing quality education to over 1,500 children annually, teacher training, and the establishment of a community agriculture project to help sustain the school.

#PSCC24 will be held from September 2-6, 2024. Riders will begin in Zurich, Switzerland and finish in Venice, Italy, covering a distance of 824 km and traversing famous mountain passes through the Alps and the Dolomites.

Returning #PlumeStrong Ambassador, three-time Tour de France champion, and recent winner of the Giro d’Italia, Tadej Pogačar, will join the ride for the first leg. Additional #PlumeStrong Ambassadors joining the ride include cyclists Urška Žigart, Scott Ogden and Marko Baloh.

The 2023 #PlumeStrong Cycling Challenge (#PSCC23) raised over €550,000 and was used to provide much-needed educational support for children affected by the Turkey-Syria earthquakes. Through the support of our riders, partners, and all of our generous donors, #PlumeStrong is building a school in one of the most impacted regions in the area.

Following the ride, #PlumeStrong will host its first-ever Gala Philanthropic Dinner in California on October 19, 2024. The Gala will raise funds to support the work of our U.S.-based partner, the Ron Brown Scholar Program, for the creation of the Ron Brown Venture Lab (RBVL). It is an innovative initiative designed to provide the essential resources that Ron Brown Scholars, Captains, and Alumni need to launch and grow their entrepreneurial ventures. The event will include both a silent and a live auction.

The Ron Brown Venture Lab will create a robust support network to address the significant challenges Black founders often face in securing the resources needed to bring their business ideas to life. By providing social, human, and financial capital, RBVL supports developing and scaling ventures within the community. The initiative aims to ignite a new generation of socially-minded innovators to drive transformative change in their communities and beyond.

“What started as an internal program has grown beyond even our own expectations. We started #PlumeStrong to assist our employees and support one another at a time when people felt isolated and alone. Now, we have extended #PlumeStrong’s reach all over the world and have created a program that actively provides resources for education and community building. Our employees, business partners, and sponsors have played a vital role in this endeavor, and we are so grateful for their continued support. Our extraordinary #PlumeAmbassadors, including cycling star Tadej Pogačar, have helped to spread the word about the #PlumeStrong Cycling Challenge and the aims of our global mission. #PlumeStrong has gone from strength to strength, and I am so proud of this team.” - Fahri Diner, Founder and CEO, Plume

  • Follow along for #PSCC24 updates on Instagram
  • Learn more about how to sponsor our individual #PSCC24 riders here
  • For details on the Ron Brown Venture Lab click here
  • Get more information on the Gala Philanthropic Dinner Ticket & Sponsorship information here
  • For details on how to partner with us or take part in #PSCC24 please visit the #PlumeStrong website