GRIT Cycle raises over $180K for John Wayne Cancer Foundation

Kristi Archuleta, who works out at GRIT Cycle, has an apt description for the spin center in Costa Mesa.

“It’s like a night club on a bike,” she said.

The cycling studio knows how to have fun and it knows how to give back via fundraising for charity.

GRIT’s second annual Gritty Up benefiting the John Wayne Cancer Foundation raised over $180,000 at the end of May.

It was a weekend-long event that included a party and silent auction at The Oak Grill at the Island Hotel. The fundraiser culminated with a three-hour ride for charity at GRIT.

The top fundraising team received a trip to Fiji sponsored by Fiji Vacations.

Marisa Wayne, one of GRIT’s owners, has carried on the memory of her father, John Wayne, by raising hundreds of thousands of dollars annually for JWCF.

“The commitment and generosity of our GRIT Cycle community and the Orange County community continues to inspire us,” Marisa Wayne said. “We are incredibly grateful to have raised more than $180,000 this year and are so proud of our riders and supporters who made this possible.”

— Steve Virgen