Cause every kid needs a coach

Tim wants to send 2 kids to college!

Tim is self-funding his entire ride. Which means every dollar donated to Biking for Baseball goes to programs. Those programs are ongoing B4B kids clinics and mentor recruitment as well as the B4B Little Scholarship Fund.

New for 2017, the B4B Little Scholarship fund aims to work with both Mentors and Mentees together to celebrate their relationship by helping send the Mentee to college!

By hitting his Fundraising goal of $160,000. Tim and Biking for Baseball will be able to cover the costs to get 2 kids to get all the way through a 4 year undergraduate program while working alongside their mentor to make sure the kid gets the continued support needed to excel all the way from application to graduation.

Tim’s 2017 ride marks the 3rd ‘Big Ride’ endeavor by Biking for Baseball. In 2012 the founding team of 4 riders conquered the ride and in 2015 Matt Stoltz took over and hit all 30 solo. Both big rides and numerous regional team rides have all been in support of Biking For Baseball’s mission to promote and advocate for the importance of mentors in kids’ lives.

The rides gain attention, then Biking for Baseball brings it home with clinics that bring Mentors and Mentees together for an afternoon of playing ball, energizing their relationship and showcasing what mentoring looks like to potential new volunteers.

To date Biking for Baseball has hosted over 50 clinics nation wide, had a hands on impact with over 1,000 kids and their mentors, and recruited countless new mentors to take a look at what volunteering looks like.

Tim Lalla, is a 24 year old engineer from Orland Park Illinois. He will be taking the helm and embarking on The Big Ride during the summer of 2017. But who is Tim? Lets find out.

Tim first contacted the B4B team early in Matt’s 2015 ride and has shown tremendous initiative to lay the groundwork of planning and preparation for The Big Ride. During the summer of 2016 he did every mile of the team ride from Chicago to KC and has been chomping-at-the-bit for 2017. Tim will be stepping away from his position as an engineer with Mortenson construction where he’s earned the nickname; Timmy The Turbine.

No stranger to The Pastime, Tim has spent every summer since he was 12 umpiring games.

Tragically, Tim was born with a severe case of total color blindness. Resulting in a complete absence of any ability to see colors. Naturally this led him down the path of becoming a White Sox fan. (This is not true, Tim can see just fine. Though he is a White Sox fan and we like to poke fun at him for it)

Tim’s personal reasons for riding lie with the two best mentors he has had in his life: his parents. Despite his dad battling Parkinson’s for the last 15 years, his parents have shown just how important it is to have strong, positive role models as a kid. And on top of that, they’re huge baseball fans (albeit the worst kind: Cubs fans)