Neil Bloomgarden’s Bike Path to Purpose at Ronald McDonald House New York
Neil Bloomgarden, a Tuesday night House Volunteer, will be riding in his 8th TD Five Boro Bike Tour on Sunday May 4th, 2025. Neil alongside six other family members have come together to ride for Ronald McDonald House New York in the world-famous annual bike tour under the team name, wait for it... The Happy Wheels.
The Happy Wheels have raised a collective $15,000 to date for the House and Neil is insistent on the fact that... they are not done just yet!
Most New Yorkers define their week by how many times the MTA made them consider moving to Jersey, how many bagels they ate while double-parking, and how well they avoided eye contact—like it was someone asking if the Mets are gonna have a good season. Again.
Neil Bloomgarden, on the other hand, defines his week by two constants: Tuesday nights and two-wheel drive.
Every Tuesday evening, almost like clockwork, Neil walks through the doors of Ronald McDonald House New York after a long day of work with a simple mission: help families with children battling pediatric cancer and other life-threatening illnesses breathe a little easier. Whether he’s welcoming guests in line for dinner, setting up trays of food, or gently herding corporate volunteers in the right direction, Neil shows up with consistency and purpose. But before he ever set foot inside the House on East 73rd Street, Neil’s RMH-NY journey started a little further away—on a bike.
Pedaling Toward Something Greater
Neil first heard about Ronald McDonald House New York through one of the city’s most iconic events: the TD Five Boro Bike Tour.
“Interestingly enough, I got connected to the House through the TD Five Boro Bike Ride,” Neil said. “This will be, I think, my eighth year doing the ride, and my third doing it for Ronald McDonald House [New York].”
It wasn’t love at first bike. It was family.
“Originally, my sister-in-law, Dr. Goldstein, suggested—she had a connection here. She suggested that year we ride for Ronald McDonald [House New York]. We joined the team, and some of the coordinators kind of took it from there in terms of pulling me in.”
Like many things in life, Neil had no idea the ride would steer him toward a new chapter in service.
“After riding the first year and meeting Rob [Volunteers Manager, Corporate and Community Engagement] and some other people involved with the House, my curiosity was certainly piqued,” Neil said. “And Rob was very encouraging—slash persistent—about saying, ‘Come see the House. Come take a tour, get to know the place.’” He laughs. “I came one night... he gave me a tour, and I was just like, sign me up. You know, how and when can I get involved?”
The Heart of Tuesday Nights
At Ronald McDonald House New York, dinner service on Tuesday nights runs like clockwork—not because someone set a timer, but because Neil, Barbara, and Michelle walk through the door.
Neil is one of the most dependable volunteers on the calendar. Nearly every Tuesday evening, without fail, he arrives early, ready to prep the space, coordinate with new volunteers, and help ensure that the evening unfolds smoothly. That level of commitment didn’t take long to establish—it’s simply the way Neil operates. Reliable. Present. Focused on what needs to be done, always with a warm smile and an open heart.
But Neil isn’t doing it alone.
Tuesday nights are a well-oiled machine thanks to the synergy between Neil, Barbara, and Michelle—a trio so in sync they can finish each other’s sentences. Over time, they’ve built a rhythm together. Each brings a different strength to the table, but what they share is a deep sense of purpose and a quiet efficiency that keeps the evening calm, welcoming, and seamless for the families they serve.
The team dynamic is what makes Tuesdays special. Volunteers may come and go throughout the week, but there’s something uniquely steady about the way this crew shows up. They’ve become a cornerstone of the House’s weekly rhythm—a source of stability and care that’s deeply felt by staff, guests, and newcomers alike.
Without them, Tuesday wouldn’t feel like Tuesday. Their presence offers more than help—it offers comfort, consistency, and a feeling of home for everyone they serve.
“My favorite part? That initial greeting when folks line up to eat,” Neil said. “Just, ‘Hey, how you doing?’ or ‘Hello, welcome, this is what we’re serving.’ I’m not here to really interact. I’m just a friendly face. It’s been a long day—I can’t imagine what these folks are going through. And I just have a real appreciation for dinner time, for families being together. For that hour or two, they can sit with their family, sit with friends. The kids can run around to an arts and crafts project. You can almost just feel everyone exhaling.”
Why the Five Boro Bike Tour Still Matters
For all the magic inside the House, Neil still holds a deep affection for the ride that got him here.
“First of all—plug for New York City—there’s no greater event in New York City, to my mind. It’s a fantastic way to see New York City,” he said.
The TD Five Boro Bike Tour spans all five boroughs in a 40-mile journey that opens the city to riders of every kind.
“You start early in the morning. You’ve got the streets to yourself—and 35,000 other riders,” he joked. “You’ll see parts of the city that you see on an everyday basis—but on your bike. And then you’ll see parts of the five boroughs that you’ve never been to before.”
And yes, there are bridges.
“You get to do some cool things like biking over the Verrazzano Bridge and the 59th Street Bridge. It’s a real neat day out, and you’re just surrounded by people that are happy to be on their bikes.”
It’s not always easy, though.
“I’d say the hardest part… because we start in the quote-unquote ‘charity wave,’ there’s a lot of experienced riders and not-so-experienced riders. And again, as I tell my family—it’s a ride, not a race. You can take as much time as you want or go as fast as you want. I like to just ride with my sister-in-law, I ride with my wife this year—we just take it easy. We’re gonna enjoy the day.”
Family on the Bike, Family in the House
The word family comes up often when Neil speaks. It’s in his riding team, which now includes six family members. It’s in the House, where he shares conversations with a high schooler who always wants to talk about sports.
“Every Tuesday, we’ll just have a quick couple of words about the Yankees or NBA playoffs,” he said. “Brief conversations, but there’s consistency in the contact.”
And it’s in the dinners he’s helped serve—with and for his own family.
“I had the opportunity to sponsor dinner on a Sunday night, and we did Chinese food. My sister-in-law, my adult daughters, and their boyfriends came. We served dinner together.”
It wasn’t just meaningful—it was transformative.
“They know I’m involved, and they always hear about it, but then they had a chance to participate firsthand. My daughters were having a relay race with these kids, they were running back and forth hugging them… it was just incredible.”
Even Daniel Jones of the New York Giants once made a surprise visit.
“He came one night and served dinner. It was after the Giants performed pretty poorly on Monday Night Football, and he came on Tuesday. I gave him a lot of credit for showing up,” Neil chuckled. “Some of the teenagers were giving him a little bit of a hard time about his stats… it was just really amusing.”
“My Soul Just Went Through a Car Wash”
There’s no need to romanticize what Neil gets from giving the time he gives to the families of the House each week. He’ll tell you himself: it changes everything.
“To my mind, time is the greatest asset we all have. If you can afford to give some of that, I think you get the highest return for it. And, you know, everyone has to make their own decisions about it, but from what I've seen, and the benefits that I receive on a weekly basis—I mean, my kids call me on Tuesday evening saying, ‘How was the House?’ And I'm like, ‘My soul just went through a car wash.’
That might be the most poetic way anyone’s ever described the act of giving.
“You know, any grief or distractions—whatever was in my head—is all cleared away over that two and a half, three hours. I just refocus, reset. It's really a special experience. You know, that's my experience. But it's also the experience that I've seen with people I volunteer with; everyone seems to come away with the same feedback.”
On Asking Boldly—and Giving Generously
Neil’s commitment goes beyond time. He’s also a passionate fundraiser. Between him and his family team, they’ve raised over $15,000 for RMH-NY’s Five Boro Bike Tour Team—and counting.
“We’re not stopping,” he said. “So, check your inboxes.”
How does he do it? With honesty and no hesitation.
“I’m shameless about it,” Neil admitted. “I do feel that my ask this year wrote itself… not with ChatGPT—but it wrote itself in the sense that I was able to add my personal experience.”
That made all the difference.
“The folks that gave this year know me, know my involvement. They also see—from interacting with me—the rewards I’m getting from it.”
He knows some people hesitate to ask.
“Some people feel guilty asking for money for a charity,” he said. “My retort to that is—some people feel really good giving to a charity. They might even say, ‘Wow, I wish I could do that. I can’t—I’m away this weekend.’ But you know something? I’m gonna bang out a check. And then maybe next year I’ll try to do it with them.”
He doesn’t sugarcoat it.
“There’s no harm in asking. And if you’re not gonna ask for a place like this… then I don’t know what else you can ask for. This is a special place.”
Volunteers Make the House a Home
Neil would never say it himself, but the truth is this: Ronald McDonald House New York runs on the quiet power of people like him—and so many others who step up in their own way. The House is only as extraordinary as the community that fuels it, and the generosity that flows through its volunteers is nothing short of remarkable.
From the familiar faces who return week after week, like Neil, to the Therapy Dog Team that spends full days bringing comfort when it’s needed most, and the dedicated corporate groups like RBC, Bloomberg, and others who support Helping Hands and Days of Service programs—every contribution matters. Every presence counts.
Volunteers are the infrastructure of RMH-NY. They’re the steady foundation, the support beams, the ones who make it possible for the House to show up—every single day—for every single family. This kind of compassion doesn’t just happen; it’s built, week after week, by people who give freely of their time, their talent, and often their treasure.
Without them, there would be no House at 405 East 73rd Street. Volunteers are—and will always be—the beating heart of Ronald McDonald House New York.
2024 RMH-NY Volunteer Statistics
Volunteers Who Gave their Time: 903
Total Volunteer Hours Worked: 7,166
New Volunteers in the House: 140
New Volunteers in Family Rooms and Partnering Hospitals: 20
Total Corporate Volunteer Hours: 10,347
Total Individual Volunteer Hours: 5,457
Corporate Groups Meal Service: 149 (66 Unique)
Corporate Groups – Days of Service: 77
Corporate Groups – Helping Hands: 88
Why Growth Matters
It’s easy to forget how much RMH-NY does—until you step inside.
Neil rattles off the numbers easily now:
“95,000 meals served in 2024… three meals a day, 365 days a year, to 90-some-odd families that might be in the House at any given time. That’s staggering.”
But what moved him most was what he didn’t know until he saw it.
“The support on the outside. Like this young man, who had to get placed in high school in New York City. He’s not from this country. I’m sure he’d rather be a freshman in his home country. But Ronald McDonald House [New York]—the great people here—found him a school. He goes to school, plays intramural basketball… it’s just, there’s so much more that goes into this beyond caring for the patient.”
And there’s more ahead.
“Whether it’s now the reaching out to hospitals in the outer boroughs with support [Family] Rooms—there’s a lot of ways to support. There’s a lot of ways to get involved beyond coming here on Tuesdays and serving dinner.”
“Be of Service”
As the TD Five Boro Bike Tour approaches again, Neil’s message is clear:
“If you see on the website, ‘Join the waitlist to volunteer,’ don’t say, ‘Oh, I’ll come back to it.’ Find something else. If you want to do it, there’s always ways to volunteer. There are ways to help beyond writing a check. Just… just be of service.”
So, whether you're on two wheels this May or two feet in the lower-level kitchen this summer, you can follow Neil Bloomgarden’s three easy steps to dynamic service:
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Show up.
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Be kind.
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And let your soul go through the car wash once in a while.
Want to ride for Team RMH-NY on Sunday May 4th?
Register Today by clicking here.
And for even more information about joining our team please contact Rob Vite at rvite@rmh-newyork.org or call 929-505-3750.
Maybe you’d like to give to Neil’s team and support their ride this May?
Visit https://www.rmh-newyork.org/blogs/events/biketour
to sign up, donate, or learn more about our riders like Neil.
Interested in volunteering or supporting families at Ronald McDonald House New York?
Check out rmh-newyork.org/volunteer and get on the list. Because as Neil says:
“If you’re not gonna ask for a place like this, then I don’t know what else you can ask for.”
Join Neil, his family, and all of Team Ronald McDonald House New York on Sunday, May 4th at 7:30 am in lower Manhattan to root them on at the start of the ride or come to Staten Island later in the day for the 5 Boro Bike Tour Finish Festival to congratulate them on a 40 mile ride well done.
Neil Bloomgarden’s Path to Purpose at Ronald McDonald House New York
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