Vending

Industry veteran Bob Hurley raises funds for charity along cross country bike ride

Bob Hurley, his brother, Frank and a support driver biked across the country to raise money for charity. Hurley raised $18,000 for K9s for Warriors, which assists rescue dogs and military veterans suffering from PTSD.

Brothers Bob and Frank Hurley and support driver Jimmy Frank take a break along their cross country ride for charities.

January 25, 2023 by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

For Bob Hurley, a longtime convenience services veteran, 2022 will be remembered as one of his busiest years ever. And not just from his role as senior sales director at Cantaloupe Inc.

Hurley, who began his convenience services career as a route driver in 1980, spent much of 2022 biking across the country to raise money for K9s for Warriors, a charity that trains dogs to assist military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Assisted by his brother, Frank, and a support driver, Hurley raised $18,000 for the charity.

He began thinking about making a long bike ride while he was recovering from an injury sustained in 2020 that left him bedridden for more than two months.

Comforted by family members, he and his brother, Frank, decided to make a bike ride while raising money for charity. The bike ride gave him inspiration as he recovered from his injury.

A chance to raise awareness

"I thought it would be good if we could raise awareness for a charity," Hurley told Vending Times in a phone interview. His CEO at Cantaloupe at the time, Sean Feeney, a West Point graduate, suggested K9s for Warriors.

Hurley attended some K9s for Warriors events to learn more about its work with military veterans. K9s for Warriors is based in Ponte Vedra, Florida.

He was surprised to learn how prevalent suicides are among military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. At one event, he heard a woman speak about her Marine sons who both committed suicide following deployment to Iraq.

He also learned that K9s for Warriors trains dogs to assist veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The dogs provide lifesaving emotional support for the veterans.

"They take rescue dogs and they train them for months, and then they actually bring the veteran in and they live onsite with the dogs and take them out to local restaurants and match up the veteran with the dog," Hurley said. "It's obviously working."

Unfortunately, there is a more than two-year waiting list of veterans waiting to get matched with dogs.

Bob and Frank Hurley complete their ride in St. Augustine, Florida.

"It literally costs $25,000 from start to finish to train one of these rescue dogs and get them paired with a veteran," he said. His mission clear, he resolved to raise money for the cause.

The brothers decided to ride from San Diego to Florida and to seek donations to charity by posting about their travels on social media.

Frank Hurley, who is retired from the aircraft industry, chose a food pantry for Greensboro Urban Ministry in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Their support driver, Jimmy Frank, raised money for It's All About the Shoes, a Cincinnati-based organization that provides soccer cleats to underprivileged children.

An engaging experience

On Thursday Sept. 29, 2022 the brothers departed Ocean Beach in San Diego and headed east, along with their support driver riding in an RV to provide room and board along the way.

Highlights included pedaling through the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, practicing survival skills in the Yuha Desert in California when they ran out of drinking water, experiencing the mountain views in Las Cruces, New Mexico and taking in the majesty of the Gulf of Mexico along the southern Mississippi coast.

The brothers completed the ride on Thanksgiving Day in St. Augustine, Florida, where Hurley resides.

Hurley began his convenience services career as a Canteen route driver in 1980 and worked his way to vice president of operations at Sodexo, where he worked from 2006 to 2015. He then started Right Choice, a Fort Lauderdale, Florida vending company with some partners.

In 2017, he joined Cantaloupe as a sales person six months before USA Technologies Inc. acquired the company. (USA Technologies later changed the name back to Cantaloupe Inc.)

Hurley continues to support K9s for Warriors. Donations can be made to: support.k9sforwarriors.org.

Photos provided by Bob Hurley.

Vending