By Cat Kerr/Catholic Charities
Team Samaritan’s journey began with a single goal: to change the narrative of homelessness.
They’ve been pedaling, running and walking their way through some of the most prestigious cycling, running and walking events in Colorado and surrounding states — all to raise funds for Samaritan House, the first building in the nation built specifically to serve people experiencing homelessness, serving women, families and children.
Team Samaritan started with a group of six friends — Tom Schwein, Tom Dea and other companions — who came together to conquer a Ride the Rockies cycling event in 2011. They were united by their love for physical challenges, their desire to push themselves and the sense of brotherhood that comes from shared experiences.
In 2019, the team celebrated a milestone they hadn’t imagined possible when they first started: reaching the $1 million mark in fundraising for the Samaritan House. This number sparked excitement and a fresh new resurgence to recruit more teammates.
Five years later, and with that same tenacity, the team has added more members and raised another million dollars in fundraising.
“Whether it be with each other or the people we serve at Samaritan House, we’ve all been reminded of why we raise money. It’s about connecting our riders to the cause by taking them down to the Samaritan House to experience first-hand why we ride,” said Tom Schwein, one of the co-captains of Samaritan Cycling. “That is how we reached the $2M mark and why we’ve continued to be successful. We couldn’t have accomplished this without the help of Tom Dea and Paul Doherty, co-captains of Samaritan Cycling."
Thanks to Team Samaritan’s dedication, they have reached $2 million raised and have helped countless individuals at Samaritan House access the resources provided by Catholic Charities. Safe housing, nutritious meals, medical care and a chance to make connections along the way.
“It has been a blessing, and we’ve also been able to raise some money for the Samaritan House. God has blessed us with so many gifts, and we’re lucky to be able to share those with others,” said Tom Dea.
For more information on joining Team Samaritan, visit https://teamsamaritan.org/about/.
