Ride for the Westside 2026: Five Years of Moving Forward Together

On Saturday, September 26, the Atlanta community gathered for the fifth annual Ride for the Westside, Westside Future Fund’s (WFF) signature community fundraiser. Hundreds of riders, runners, and walkers made their way through the neighborhoods of the historic Westside. Along the way they saw the progress underway in English Avenue and Vine City, and then celebrated together at the finish line.

With 500 registrants, this year’s event surpassed its $170,000 fundraising goal. That makes it a milestone year for an event that has grown alongside the community it supports.

WABE’s Rose Scott, the award-winning journalist and host of Closer Look, returned as emcee for the third year in a row and kept energy high from start to finish. Atlanta City Councilman Byron Amos joined us to officially kick off each of the timed events, sending participants into the neighborhoods at the heart of WFF’s work.

Whether they biked, ran, or walked, participants saw the Westside up close. The route passed landmarks that shaped Atlanta and the nation’s civil rights history, and blocks where vacant and blighted properties have become high-quality, affordable homes for longtime residents.

Celebrating Local Business

This year’s Vendor Market brought 20 local businesses and organizations to the finish line. One of them was Trinity Marks, owner of Dream Cafe and Dreaming Sweets. Trinity will soon open her first brick-and-mortar location as one of the first commercial tenants at WFF’s 839 Joseph E. Boone Blvd NW property.

Stories like Trinity’s show the progress made since Ride for the Westside began five years ago. Restoration without displacement means more than housing. It also means creating room for neighborhood entrepreneurs to grow where they already belong.

Purpose Behind the Movement

Ride for the Westside is more than a ride, run, or walk. It’s a shared commitment to the future of the historic Westside. Funds raised support WFF’s holistic work across its four impact areas: affordable mixed-income housing, cradle-to-career education, safety and security, and community health and wellness.

A primary beneficiary is WFF’s Home on the Westside program. The program helps longtime residents and new neighbors put down roots in the community and advances our vision of a neighborhood Dr. King would be proud to call home.

Thank You to Our Partners

Ride for the Westside would not be possible without the generosity of our sponsors:

• Presenting Sponsor: Chick-fil-A
• Champion Sponsors: The Home Depot and Huntington Bank
• Advocate Sponsor: The Coca-Cola Company
• Ambassador Sponsors: Blackoak Construction & Development, Delta Community Credit Union, The Gathering Spot, Genuine Parts Company, Grant Thornton, Kaiser Permanente, Kronberg Urbanist Architects, PNC Bank, TMPAV, Tom Barrow Co., Top Floor, and Waymo | Uber

We’re also grateful to our volunteers, community partners, vendors, and WFF staff. Most of all, thank you to every participant who showed up to stand with the historic Westside.

Five years in, the event has shown what can happen when neighbors, partners, and supporters share a morning on the Westside, and we look forward to what’s ahead.

Missed this year’s event? Learn more about how you can support WFF’s work.