Small but seasoned cyclists Izzy and Elliott Kopsky raised more than $12,000 for the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance in a bike-a-thon fundraiser to help with COVID-19 relief efforts.
In mid-April, Izzy and Elliott decided they wanted to do something to help people affected by the coronavirus crisis. They were inspired by Capt. Tom Moore, the nonagenarian who raised more than £30 million for the British National Health Service by walking laps in his backyard with his walker. The boys’ version was cranking mileage on their bikes for Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance. “We thought we wanted to help people in our community like that guy,” said Izzy, 9, “so we decided to do a bike-a-thon.” Why cycling? Simple. “Because we’re really good at it and we like it,” Elliott, 7, said.
Izzy and Elliott have been biking with their dad, Bill Kopsky, executive director of the Arkansas Public Policy Panel, for years, and they trained diligently for their big race on May 20. Both boys set personal records during the bike-a-thon. Before the race, Elliott’s personal best was 18 miles and Izzy’s was 55. On the big day, they hit their personal goals and then some. Izzy rode 66 miles and Elliott made it to 32.7 miles. “I’m a little nervous,” said Izzy a few days before the race, “because I’ve only got close to that once. In training we’ve only gone 18 to 23 miles, and I need to go 65, so I’m a little nervous about that. But I think I can do it.”
A couple of small crashes and previously unconquered hills stood in the way of victory for both boys, but they powered through. The hardest part for Izzy was Fort Roots Drive, the steep hill up to Veteran’s Administration Hospital in North Little Rock, especially when he took a spill on the way down. “I was going down Fort Roots, and I tried to stop but I couldn’t stop completely so I rolled into a curb. My pedal hit me in the leg. I got a tiny cut but a big bruise. It hurt a lot at first; it doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Elliott came out of the race with a battle scar, too. “My dad said there were deer in a field,” he said, “and I wanted to look at them and suddenly I kind of flipped over the edge of my bike. And I have a little scrape on my knee.”
Elliott’s crash happened early in the race, but it didn’t break his spirit. “Elliott really toughed it out to not have it derail his ride, so I’m proud of him. [It] looked like it hurt,” Kopsky said. Izzy chimed in to say that Elliott got up from his crash smiling, but Elliott contests that claim. “I was not laughing or smiling,” Elliott insisted.
Despite a few bumps in the road, the boys made it, and everybody finished the day satisfied. “I felt tired, proud and happy at the same time,” Elliott said. “I was very proud of them,” their father said. “You know, they set a goal and I was a little nervous because it was a stretch for both of them, but they both did really great. We had a good day out.”
When it got hard, Izzy said that his motivation to keep going was “finishing the ride and helping other people.” Donors sponsored the boys per mile cycled or with flat donations, and all donations went to the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance. The organization works with nonprofits, state and federal agencies and other organizations to increase access to food across the state. “It’s an incredible amount of money,” said Kathy Webb, executive director of the organization. “I’ve had the privilege of knowing these kids since they were born and knowing their parents. I know that they’re bringing up their kids to understand that issues like this have an impact on all of us. And those of us who can do something have an obligation to do it.”
Addressing hunger in Arkansas is and will continue to be an urgent need because of the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. After the recession in 2008, it took a full decade to recover in terms of numbers of Arkansans affected by hunger in the state. Because an even more severe economic downturn is in progress as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, hunger is sure to be on the rise for a long time coming. “This is a long haul that we’re in for,” Webb said. “That’s one reason that what these kids are doing is so important, because not only does it raise money, but it also raises awareness.”
Webb said the money the Kopskys and others raise can have a significant impact on the lives of those struggling with hunger, such as enabling the organization to make more help available to the Latinx community by hiring native Spanish speakers, or getting schools the equipment they need to provide meals for kids during the summer. “Every donation makes a difference,” she said. The money the boys raised “could make the difference in whether a school is able to continue serving, and that could be a thousand kids.”
In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, the boys understand that hunger relief is profoundly necessary. “A lot of people are losing their jobs and aren’t getting enough food,” Elliott said. “We’re hoping the donations will help,” Izzy added.