April 19, 2025

Help 14 Graduating Seniors Say Yes to College

Bike 4 Borrego Kids

Every spring, Borrego Springs seniors face a tough reality: even with college acceptance letters in hand, many still don’t know if they can afford to say yes. Soroptimist member and cyclist Sylvia Maas created Bike 4 Borrego Kids, a scholarship fund that helps bridge that gap. This year, a record 14 graduating Interact Club seniors applied for her $1,000 grants. That’s 14 students with big dreams—and 10 days to raise $5,000 more.

Quick Facts: Bike 4 Borrego Kids

14 seniors from Borrego Springs High School have applied for $1,000 Bike 4 Borrego Kids grants.

Funds help local students accept college offers and pursue education beyond high school.

$500/day is needed for the next 10 days to fully fund all applicants.

Interact Club, mentored by Sylvia Maas, meets weekly and builds leadership and service skills.

Club members have hosted fundraisers, led anti-bullying programs, and donated clean water systems to schools.

Sylvia’s Race Across America (RAAM) success and upcoming Trans Am bike race help raise awareness and donations.

Sylvia began this program after retiring as a biology teacher and moving to Borrego Springs.

The first year funded 7 students—this year it’s 14 and growing.

Donate Online: Click here to give
Or Mail a Check To:
Soroptimists Bike for Borrego Kids
P.O. Box 504

Borrego Springs, CA 92004

Please share this message and help spread the word. The May 1 deadline is coming fast.

Below is the full message from Soroptimist International of Borrego Springs, detailing why this cause matters and how you can help.

Dear Soroptimist family and friends,

The following is a “feel good” Borrego story that we are sharing with you because it explains so much about the long and winding road that our local Borrego Springs students must take to become inspired, get motivated, gain skills, and make their plans for graduating and leaving Borrego Springs for further education.

But first, our “problem” (opportunity). Yesterday we found out that a record 14 graduating Interact students have applied for member Sylvia Maas’ Bike 4 Borrego Kids $1000 grants. To meet all 14 requests she needs to raise $500 a day for the next 10 days.

You can donate online here or send a check to:
Soroptimists Bike for Borrego Kids
P.O. Box 504, Borrego Springs, CA 92004

Please share this email with your family and friends.

Our club met yesterday with four young women who are mentored by Sylvia through the Interact Service Club that meets regularly at the High School. This club has grown each year as kids see the benefit of working and planning together to help their community.

On May 1, these graduates must know if they have the personal resources to accept or pass on the college offers they have in hand. Over the years, we have encouraged these students to develop their skills, follow their dreams, and make financial plans to continue their education beyond high school. Soon they will know if they have enough local scholarship money, along with family savings, to even accept a generous offer from the California colleges that have made them offers and want them as students.

When Sylvia Maas retired from teaching Biology and moved to Borrego Springs, she expected to concentrate on her long-distance competitive bike racing “retirement” career. Three years ago she joined Borrego Soroptimists and offered to mentor at the High School weekly, because there was no counselor.

She met students during breaks, promoted the Interact service club, and helped seniors learn about the forms they would need to apply for college tuition waivers. She could not imagine how this concerted effort would turn out… the club grew each year and cultural trips into San Diego opened kids’ eyes to the world beyond. Also, the kids started to share their personal struggles and their dreams of education after graduation. Their problems went beyond getting good grades. They wanted local jobs, and some idea of how they could live away from home and afford to take classes leading to a degree and a better job. Borrego kids are practical kids. They know the challenges they face.

The first year Sylvia gave out 7 Bike 4 Borrego Kids grants, and this year 14 have applied. This is the real “good news.” The result of many years of building the club, mentoring the club members weekly, helping them apply for FAFSA grants, and making plans for their futures. The club itself has held successful bake sale fundraisers, and this year they donated water purification devices to the Warner Springs schools to provide safe drinking water in the school rooms.

This year, Interact service club members, along with Soroptimists, presented a very successful program at the Borrego Grade School where they spoke to the little kids about the cruelty of bullying and encouraged the children to be kind and be brave when defending others from bullying. The passionate testimony of the high school students was exactly what the little kids wanted to hear. It was emotional and wonderful to see.

Sylvia Maas’ successful completion of Race Across America (RAAM) last year was a 3,000-mile tour de force that we all followed daily. Her many other long-distance riding successes have attracted donors to her Bike 4 Borrego Kids charity from her friends, fans, and biking enthusiasts. Borrego Soroptimists set up the online donation site and we fully support Sylvia’s very successful, and growing, fundraising effort.

Learn More About Borrego Springs

Ashes-to-go and Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2026

By by Michael Plekon • February 14, 2026

by Michael Plekon Every year, Christians move through the months with different seasons and festivals. The Christmas-Epiphany season is just finishing, and before that, in December, was Advent, is a time of preparation and anticipation of the Christmas feast of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. This year, on Ash Wednesday, February 18, Christians will start the season of Lent, a forty-day period of prayer and good works. It leads up to Holy Week, when Jesus’ last supper, his trial, crucifixion, death and burial are commemorated on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Jesus’ resurrection is celebrated on Easter Sunday, April 5. Borrego churches and the BMA gather behind the Methodist Church for a Sunrise Service. St. Barnabas has a simple Eucharist right afterwards and a festive service at the regular 9:30am time. Why ashes? The Hebrew Bible has many references to ashes as a sign of sorrow and repentance for the evil one has done. Job places ashes on his head to acknowledge his failing in faith (42:6) Tamar also. (2 Sam. 13: 19) The entire people use ashes to express their desire to turn away from sin and back to God. (Numb. 19:9) And there are quite a few other examples. In our time there are gestures of admitting guilt and asking forgiveness, something that happens in courthouses after a trial concludes. In our families and circles of friends, at times we need to humble ourselves and ask forgiveness of those we have wronged. And accept the forgiveness of others as well. The ashes are put on a person’s forehead with the words, “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Gen. 3:19) Usually there are other things about which people ask for prayers—relatives who are ill, friends facing tough times with finances, work, relationships. Contrary to what some might think, ashes and Lent are anything but gloomy or self-imposed sorrow. The word “lent” comes from an Old English word for the spring slowly com ing, lencten. Yes, it connotes the lengthening of the days, more sunshine and warmth, which in years long ago meant release from cold, planting of crops, and the joy of spring and summer. Easter and its Jewish precedent, Passover/ Pesach, bears some of the same meanings—release from bondage, life triumphing over death. The encounters with folks on the Christmas Circle and in church are anything but morose, whether they drive up and stay in their vehicles or park and walk up, or line up for ashes after the BYOB music or at the afternoon service. There is joy, maybe even a lightness in their step. The clergy of Borrego will be there at The Circle in shifts starting at 8am, continuing till noon. And ashes will be available as mention, at church. In addition to taking daily prayer mor seriously, there are many things one can do in Lent. It used to be assumed that alcohol and desserts would be given up. This is fine if you so choose. Giving more for food insecurity, volunteering at food banks, even seeking out family and friends to make sure you are at peace with them—all of these are wonderful Lenten practices. Happy Lent.