Dylan Lauren’s Sweet Memorial Day Charity Ride
Dylan Lauren of Dylan’s Candy Bar and Ruth Zuckerman Flywheel Sports both love to spin. They both love animals. So combining their passions seemed only natural when the pair decided to organize a Memorial Day Weekend charity ride at Flywheel in East Hampton to raise money for the Monmouth County Shelter for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MCSPCA).
At least it seemed completely natural to the two women. But spinning, candy and dogs? How does this really all fit together? “Most of my customers at Dylan’s Candy Bar also love to spin,” explained Dylan, the daughter of clothing designer Ralph Lauren. “Basically, where the candy comes in is that I had been talking to Flywheel that everyone should exercise, but also eat candy in moderation, and when we decided that we wanted to do a charity ride we joined forces.
“At the spinning class we’ll be giving out low-calorie Dylan’s candy, as well as candy in the theme of Memorial Day Weekend,” she continued. “We’re also going to be inviting people to the store in East Hampton after the ride. There will be red, white and blue lollipops and jelly beans. While people are spinning they will see up on monitors pictures of the dogs and cats that are up for adoption.”
The Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was founded in 1945 to care for the community’s homeless, neglected and abused animals. A non-profit organization that relies entirely on private donations to fund their many programs, the MCSPCA’s mission is to protect and advocate for all animals. They are dedicated to enforcing animal cruelty laws; providing a safe haven for homeless, abused and abandoned pets while they await adoption; reducing pet over-population through spay/neutering; and cultivating their humane treatment through education and service as a valuable community resource.
The event is expected to draw quite the crowd here on the East End, and Dylan herself is already anticipating a wonderful time for both participants and the charity. “I’m really excited about this,” she said. “Flywheel is my favorite place to work out, and I think it’s great that we are going to raise money for MCSPCA. They do such great work, are extremely well run, and I wanted to raise money for them.”
In fact, Dylan has already gone a step further. An admitted dog lover, the owner of the world’s largest candy store recently adopted a pup from the organization. “I got a collie-lab mutt that is black, fuzzy and cute. She is from Puerto Rico. We named her Jersey because that’s where the MCSPCA is located, and also because she is very fashionable. I bring her to work sometimes, and everybody just loves her. People are totally shocked when they learn that she is a shelter dog.”
The charity ride takes place Saturday, May 26, at 10:30 a.m. at Flywheel, 65 Montauk Highway in East Hampton. For more information visit www.flywheelsports.com. Suggested donation for the ride is $30.