Local Business Owner Bikes 340 Miles to Support Children’s Hospitals

PHOENIX – David Karsten, owner of Karsten Ace Hardware stores in Carefree, Cave Creek and Goodyear, is participating in his fourth consecutive Ace “Tour de Kids” charity bike ride in September.

Karsten will represent valley Ace Hardware stores as one of the 100 “Helpful Riders,” biking 340 miles from Oak Brook, Ill. to St. Louis, Mo. The ride will include four stops at Children’s Hospitals along the way, where they will be given tours of the facilities.

With help from valley Ace Hardware store owners and the local community, Karsten hopes to raise more than $10,000 for this years ride. The past three charity rides, Karsten alone has raised $25,000 to support Children’s Miracle Network.

“Many of the children who benefit from our ride can’t ride for themselves, so this is my way of making a difference in their lives,” said Karsten. “Participating in this event is a constant reminder of my two children and how fortunate they are to be able to ride their bikes with friends.”

In addition to participating in the annual Ace “Tour de Kids”, Karsten is active in his local community. He is a board member for the Carefree and Cave Creek Chamber of Commerce and a president-elect for the Desert Ridge Kiwanis Club.  Karsten and his son are also members of Boy Scouts of Troop 603 in Cave Creek.

“I am fortunate to be part of the incredible Ace Hardware family and together we are dedicated to giving back to the local community we serve,” said Karsten.

Since 2004, more than $180,000 has been raised for Phoenix Children’s Hospitals, by the 60 individually owned Ace Hardware stores across the Valley, along with the Ace Retailer Support Center in Prescott Valley.

To support David Karsten and Ace “Tour de Kids”, you can donate at any local Ace Hardware store, or visit his page on the Children’s Miracle Network website.

About Ace Hardware
Throughout its 80-year history, Ace Hardware has been known as the helpful hardware store by both customers and communities. Ace Hardware was recently ranked, for the second consecutive year the “Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Major Home Improvement Retail Stores” by J.D. Power and Associates in its inaugural study of the retail home improvement industry. With 4,600 hardware, home center and building materials stores that generate annual retail sales of more than $12 billion, Ace is the largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative in the industry.  Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., Ace currently operates 14 distribution centers in the U.S. and a warehouse in Shanghai, China. Its retailers’ stores are located in all 50 states and 60 countries. More information about Ace can be found at www.acehardware.com or www.teamacephoenix.com.

About Children’s Miracle Network
Children’s Miracle Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by raising funds for children’s hospitals. Each year the 170 Children Miracle Network hospitals provide the finest medical care, life-saving research and preventative education to help millions of kids overcome diseases and injuries of every kind. To learn more go to www.childrensmiraclenetwork.org.