Spin Away the Sun 2026
Shadow Jumpers’ sixth annual Spin Away the Sun fundraiser united riders across New Jersey, Boston, and Los Angeles for an unforgettable coast to coast weekend that raised an incredible milestone for families living with rare photosensitive conditions.
Click HERE to view our special thanks and shout outs
“Everybody click off from your bike,” announced the Cycle Bar Culver City instructor to her 37 riders who had just completed an impressive 2.5-hour ride on this Sunday afternoon, “and stand to the left of your bike and lets stretch it out.”
This moment marked the official commencement of the “cool down” period for this Los Angeles Spin-a-thon charity ride, concluding the nonprofit Shadow Jumpers’ sixth year of the annual fundraiser, affectionately dubbed SPIN AWAY THE SUN. What began in 2020 as a single ride among friends to raise money for photosensitive families has since expanded dramatically. With rides already held the same weekend in New Jersey and Boston, Shadow Jumpers’ inaugural Super Spin Weekend to cap off the fundraiser was a resounding success, with 71 riders raising an astounding $203,323 to support Shadow Jumpers’ mission.
Shadow Jumpers provides meaningful experiences and a sense of community to individuals and families living with photosensitive conditions. Since 2017, they have provided sun-proof vacations, home renovations, financial assistance, and transportation services, along with a safe camp experience tailored specifically for photosensitivity. Most recently they assisted an XP family from New Mexico fulfill their daughter’s dream of experiencing the ocean with an all expenses paid and sun proof vacation to Hawaii.
Volunteer John McGrath at Spin Away the Sun Boston
As the LA ride stretch period turned to overhead extensions and calf flexes, the moment was particularly sweet for two riders in the studio that afternoon, Craig Leppert and John McGrath. These decade long friends and old coworkers had just completed the trifecta, having visited Shadow Jumpers’ other spin events in New Jersey on Friday night and Boston Saturday afternoon. Craig had participated in those rides too, while John assisted with the setup and documentation of the events for social media and the Shadow Jumpers’ website.
“It felt like we were some sort of indie rock band traveling on the road together between gigs,” said Craig, the organization’s chairman, in the lobby after Sunday’s ride. “We were on the East Coast for two days, but it felt like weeks.” John added, “It hasn’t really settled in yet what we just accomplished; we haven’t stopped moving all weekend.”
Our NJ riders celebrating after their 2nd annual ride
TEAM NEW JERSEY - Friday January 30th - Tandem Cycle, Manasquan NJ
The coast-to-coast journey aimed to help oversee and participate in the recent expansion of the Spin Away the Sun fundraiser, which added a second location for the first time last year. The New Jersey location, now in its second year, was led by Nicole Leppert, Craig’s sister and an Erythropoietic Protoporphyria (EPP) patient who has also volunteered at Shadow Jumpers’ Sun Escape camp weekend since 2024. “Shadow Jumpers means so much to our family and friends in the New Jersey area. We had a fantastic inaugural spin last year (raising $46,775), and I know everyone was determined to prove we weren’t a one-hit wonder this year.”
Entering the day, Shadow Jumpers had raised a total of $188,667, making it their largest Spin Away the Sun fundraiser yet, but still needing just under $12,000 to reach their goal. Craig felt confident about achieving their $200,000 target when asked during the setup of the NJ event but cautioned the need to finish strong. “In years past, we’ve raised $10,000-$15,000 in the final few days, so we are right there. We can’t sit back and expect it to happen though.”
To accommodate kicking off the spin weekend, New Jersey’s ride was moved at Tandem Cycle in Manasquan from Saturday afternoon to Friday night. Nicole noted that, aside from some minor scheduling hurdles, most riders were more disappointed about not being able to celebrate properly afterward. “Most of our group has known one another for decades; they would show up Tuesday at 6 a.m. if we asked them to. I think they were more upset that we ended so late that we couldn’t hold a party at my parents’ house again like last year.”
As NJ’s ride commenced, John, noted the energy and commitment from the Tandem Cycle instructors and support staff. “Three Tandem instructors rotated throughout the event, but even when they weren’t cycling, they remained in the studio, cheering and motivating from the back, moving up and down the aisles to keep the energy alive. All the staff across all three of our locations were outstanding, but the people at Tandem made you feel like they were along for the ride with you the whole time.”
Tandem’s Director of Operations and Founding Instructor, Anna Kate Mitchell, said it’s easy to rally every year behind a cause like Shadow Jumpers. “They are doing such incredible things to help kids battle conditions I didn’t even know existed. They are a special group of selfless individuals.”
Around 9:00 p.m., the group of 22 New Jersey riders exited the studio after concluding their 2.5-hour ride, culminating their fundraising efforts with a team total of $67,326 raised. “These spin classes are the foundation of our fundraiser, similar to a bike-a-thon or walk-a-thon,” Nicole explained in her post-spin interview, “but the real work is the nine weeks of fundraising we do before today.” Nicole finished second on Team NJ with $3,432 raised, just behind Mike & Tracy Leppert (her and Craig’s parents), who raised $10,093.
“Proud parent moment for sure,” Mike acknowledged, celebrating his two EPP kids’ hard work in raising such a significant amount of money. The family’s third child, Madison, also participated in the evening’s ride.
A successful year one for Team Boston
TEAM BOSTON - Saturday January 31st - Cycle Bar, somerville, MA
A sleepless John and a hobbling Craig navigated Newark Airport TSA at 7:30 a.m. Saturday morning as they began their journey to Boston for the second leg of the weekend. “It was tough getting out of bed this morning, but we have no choice,” Craig said as John finished a Shadow Jumpers’ social media post beside him.
Touching down in Boston at 9:30 a.m., the group made their way to Cycle Bar in the Assembly Bow area of Mass General Brigham. This year’s inaugural Boston Spin Away the Sun event was the ride Shadow Jumpers had anticipated the most due to its strong connection to the photosensitive community. Unlike LA or NJ, which has many family and friends participating, the Boston team has organically grown from Shadow Jumpers and the photosensitive community.
Ginger Gonsalves, Brelyn Honiker & Cayla Danko (left to right) during their Boston spin
The team included EPP patients Ginger Gonsalves, Rebecca Kelliher, and Cayla Danko. “I am terrified of having to do 2.5 hours on this bike,” admitted Ginger, a Shadow Jumpers’ board member, Sun Escape volunteer, and Boston’s Team Captain. “But I’ll do anything to raise more funds to assist these kids and families.” Rebecca, fundraising alongside her fellow nurses in a team they called the UMASS SCRUB SQUAD, expressed how she wished something like Shadow Jumpers had been available when she was a child.
Cayla, who flew in from Arkansas the night before to see family for the weekend and spin, added, “Joining Shadow Jumpers at Sun Escape last year was a life-changing experience. I am thrilled to be part of their growing community.” Cayla was Boston’s leading fundraiser with $8,109, and the team finished with a total of $47,535.
By all accounts Boston Year 1 was a tremendous success. The funds they raised surpassed the totals from each of the first three Spin Away the Sun events (2020, 2022, 2023). “We couldn’t be more excited about the future of this location in the years to come,” Craig said.
Rounding out the Boston group were Ginger’s daughters, Brelyn and Jayden, the aforementioned SCRUB SQUAD, the Locke Family, and EPP Patient Ashley Silva, who was present to assist John pre-event and maintain the vibes while circulating the studio with water, energy drinks, and more for riders mid-spin.
“We had 14 riders participate during the class, but you would have thought it was 30,” remarked Cycle Bar General Manager Shannon Brown. “Knowing it was many of their first time on a spin bike, they brought incredible energy from start to finish.” Shannon confirmed she’s already blocked off the date for Boston’s next ride in 2027.
As the riders wrapped up their celebration after 2.5 hours of cycling, John and Craig (post-shower) headed back to Boston Logan Airport, with a fundraising total of $195,769. “This is the first time in six years that we might head into our LA ride still with a goal to reach,” Craig admitted. “Weirdly, that is very exciting!”
A record setting fundraiser (again) for Team LA
TEAM LOS ANGELES - Sunday February 1st - Cycle Bar, Culver City, CA
Touching down in Los Angeles just before midnight, Craig and John returned to their homes around 1 a.m. They wanted to acknowledge John’s wife, Rachel McGrath, and Craig’s fiancé, Alivia, who helped them with the LA event preparations while they were away, saving them an extra two hours of sleep the following morning. Alivia led all LA riders with a fundraising total of $15,203, while the McGraths set a new personal best of $5,513 raised.
Everyone was still up early that Sunday morning, sending out the last of their Hail Mary emails and texts to potential donors while encouraging the LA SPIN GROUP TEXT to find that last $4,221 to surpass the once-unthinkable milestone of $200,000. However, it would actually be the second goal met during the 2026 Spin Away the Sun. The original fundraising goal was set at $125,000, and surpassing that total alone would have comfortably broken 2025’s spin record of $116,000.
With a week left in fundraising and sitting at a total of $176,000, The Shadow Jumpers team felt confident in publicly announcing the change in their goal due to the Los Angeles group’s ability to raise funds in the final hours of a fundraiser. “The majority of our riders in Los Angeles are my closest friends,” Craig explained “nearly all of them will be at my wedding in May, and still, every spin they participate in takes years off my life with their fundraising procrastination.”
Shadow Jumpers first spin in 2020, raising $11,095
Part of that frantic fundraising approach may stem from experience. Out of the 37 riders who fundraised and rode for TEAM LA this year, 18 participated in Shadow Jumpers’ inaugural Spin Away the Sun in 2020, with 11 of those 18 participating every year since.
“We have grown so quickly year after year that it’s sometimes hard to comprehend the amount of money being discussed,” noted six-time rider Tom Massar. Another six-timer, Dave Benyo, added, “I told people about the spin-a-thon last year, and they were blown away when I said we raised $116,000. That’s when I had to take a moment and realize, ‘Wow, this has really grown into a legitimate operation.’”
Some of that legitimizing has come through various sponsorships that Spin Away the Sun has secured across all of its locations. This year’s list of platinum tier sponsors has expanded to include Olipop, United Talent Agency, Disc Medicine, Primo Brands, Expert MRI, Antares Legal, and the Canadian Association for Porphyria. The subsequent tiers consist of a variety of national and local businesses.
Expert MRI has been a platinum sponsor of the fundraiser since 2023 and has made significant contributions at the Los Angeles events, with five employees participating in the spin and gifting each LA rider a duffle bag filled with sponsored merchandise. “Shadow Jumpers represents strength, community, and an unwavering commitment to uplifting others,” stated Micah Brill, Expert MRI’s Director of Marketing and Sales (and a three-time rider).
“Participating in this event is more than just sponsorship for us; it’s an opportunity to stand alongside an incredible group of people who lead with heart, purpose, and service. Shadow Jumpers’ mission is truly inspiring, and we are honored to play a part in furthering their impact.”
“They make us look much cooler than we actually are,” Craig remarked, pointing to the 40+ duffle bags stacked and waiting for the riders when they finished.
While the riders would have to wait 2.5 hours until they could walk away with their gifts at Cycle Bar in Culver City, Craig and John only had to wait 40 minutes into their final spin before receiving the gift they had fought for all weekend: surpassing $200,000. During a transition to the second spin instructor, they briefly exited the studio to post a video expressing their heartfelt thanks, capping off the historic weekend. “Ironically, that was the first and only time I’ve ever gotten up and left the studio mid-spin in six years,” Craig said.
Spin Away the Sun concluded its efforts with a total of $203,322 raised, with Los Angeles achieving a new single team record of $88,461 ($40,000 of which was raised in the final 10 days). This was the culmination of over two months of fundraising, another six weeks of planning, and three days of exhausting coast-to-coast travel.
In previous years, the Shadow Jumpers team, comprised entirely of volunteers, would take three weeks off in February to recharge and plan for the year ahead with the money they had raised. Ginger noted that, in the past, March was viewed as the start of each new Shadow Jumpers year. “Now, everything is happening all the time and all at once. We are already deep into our preparations for Sun Escape.”
This shift in mindset also reflects their fundraising approach, where the sense of relief is now intertwined with what was once solely celebration. “In 2020, we raised $11,000, and you would have thought we were on top of the world,” Craig reflected. “Today, we raised over $200,000, and I believe that will be just enough to cover all the family trips, renovations, assistance, camp, and programming we anticipate.”
While the responsibility may be greater than ever, there is hope that the spinning might get easier. Expectations are that both Nicole and Ginger will independently run their NJ and Boston events next year, and current locations will all ride on the same Saturday in 2027. When asked about expanding to a fourth location, Shadow Jumpers expressed their willingness to go wherever there is genuine interest from people to fundraise and ride.
“Lets get through Sun Escape first,” Craig joked when asked about a 4th location before quickly adding “Im just kidding. We know exactly where it’ll be and have already started those conversations. Stay tuned!”