Velorosa giving back: The 2025 Sip & Swap

Join Velorosa on Wednesday, April 16 at 6 PM at Jasper Winery for the annual Sip & Swap!

At this annual event, Velorosa and the Des Moines cycling community will enjoy sipping wines, swapping athletic gear, and bidding at a silent auction to support three incredible central Iowa nonprofits.

Swap & Shop: Bring 5 items, Get 5 tickets, & Take home 5 items!  No items to swap? No problem! Purchase tickets for $5 at the door. Curbside donation drop-off available during the event.  Any items that don't find a new home will be donated to the Dream Team  and the DSM Street Collective.

Silent Auction:  Plus, don't miss our silent auction, where all proceeds support Urban Bicycle Food Ministry and their mission to serve radical hospitality one burrito at a time by bike and combat food insecurity.

RSVP to the Sip & Swap here

Sip & Swap was founded by the Velorosa Cycling Team as part of the team's mission to engage and support cycling and the community around them. We come together this year to Sip, swap, shop and support three terrific Iowa cycling groups and their missions.

Urban Bike Food Ministry

Urban Bike Food Ministry is celebrating an incredible 10 years of "serving radical hospitality one burrito at a time" for Des Moines' unhoused citizens. Velorosa is proud to highlight their work as one of the organizations we will be raising money and gear for at the annual Sip n Swap.

What started as one person biking around the city handing out 20 burritos and 20 bottles of water has grown to a weekly event where over 40 volunteers work together to cook, assemble, and distribute 800 burritos, 800 sandwiches, bottles of water, and other day to day necessities like blankets, clothing, and sleeping pads to unhoused and food insecure community members.

Every Thursday night, rain or shine, this dedicated group of volunteers comes together to orchestrate a bustling assembly line of burrito-making. These burritos, food, and other supplies are then divided out to groups of cyclists (and two cars) to cover color-coded routes across the Des Moines metro.

But UBFM doesn't just stop there. They have become a voice to advocate for the needs and rights of unhoused Iowans. Velorosa is proud to contribute volunteer hours and financial support to this important organization. Check out their Facebook group for more information, and visit Big Bike Give if you can make a financial contribution to this radical organization!

Dream Team

Since 1997, the Dream Team has given youth in the Des Moines area the chance to participate in one of the greatest Iowa traditions around, RAGBRAI. Velorosa is proud to feature the Dream Team as one of the organizations the annual Sip n Swap event will be raising money and gear for.

Every March, a group of 50-60 teens begin a 5 month program that culminates in riding "coast to coast" for the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa, fondly known as RAGBRAI. Riders work with volunteers to set goals, work hard, and dream big. The organization uses the bicycle as a tool to inspire and motivate youth, encourage lifelong wellness, and build confidence through accomplishment.

Learn more about the Dream Team at their website and check our their donation page if you can support this amazing organization financially.

Street Collective

The Street Collective has been a champion of active transportation options that are accessible, safe, and enjoyable for everyone. What started as making biking more accessible in the state of Iowa has blossomed into a community workspace, education, empowerment, and social change through bike share, community planning, coalition building, charitable bike donations, and more. Velorosa is proud to showcase this amazing organization as one of the groups the annual Sip n Swap event will be raising funds and gear to help support.

The Street Collective boasts a community bike shop that provides education opportunities and affordable bike maintenance support along with public maintenance classes that help empower more people to feel confident on bikes. They also organize and maintain a bike share program with 200 bikes and 30 stations around the Des Moines metro. The Street Collective offers information on providing bike parking as well as offering bike valet at community events.

The Street Collective also serves as an advocacy organization that supports trail accessibility across the state and legislation that makes the streets safer for non-car transportation. Visit their website for more information about their work and learn about how you can donate or volunteer.