The Clark-Claudon Family Vineyards is sponsoring a  Wildflowers & Wine charity bike ride and picnic lunch at their ranch April 12, to raise funds for children’s education in poverty stricken Nicaragua.

“It’s awesome day geared at getting everyone out on beautiful ride, followed by a fabulous lunch and wine,” noted Briana Marie Clark-Forgie.

“My parents, Tom Clark and Laurie Claudon, have been involved with ‘hands-on” charity since they joined the Peace Corps in the 1970s,” she wrote to the Register in an e-mail. “They have since made it a personal and professional mission to not simply give money to charity but be personally involved. That led them to their involvement in Nicaragua with Jake Schiedeman in the year 2000. Since then, we are supporting a number of children to be able to go to school and hope to continue to do so.”  

Most recently the family has become involved with Clinica Verde, a local non-profit that is creating “an environmentally sustainable prototype for a health clinic in Nicaragua that can be replicated throughout the world,” she added.

“This last week was the first time I was able to go to Nicaragua and was joined by my husband and two small children. As a photographer, I really wanted to be able to come home and have my images make an impact. I contacted Susan Lyons, co-founder of Clinica Verde [who] connected me with an influential doctor in Boaco, and I was able to travel around and interview families, primarily women and children about their dreams.”

Clark-Claudon Family Vineyards will host the bike ride as well as a few other upcoming events to help raise money for Clinica Verde and the education costs for these children.  

“Our aim is to have a joyful, health-related event bringing people together in a positive way and bring attention and funds to a worthy cause,” Clark-Forgie wrote. “My mom often relishes in the fact that the fruit we grow can be crafted into a beautiful wine that then raises money and awareness for charities that we support. It is said that wine can be a wonderful way to bring people together and yet events like these take that to a much deeper level.”  

The local Clif Bar family is donating all of the cycling snacks as well.

The race begins at 9 a.m. April 12. The address will be given to participants when they register. For more information, call 965-9393 or visit www.clarkclaudon.com.