THUNDER BAY – One of the city’s most popular charity cycling events will be back with something new.
The sixth annual Caribou Charity Ride will hit the roads south of the city on Sept. 13 but for the first time will feature a 75-kilometre distance to complement the 100-kilometre and 50-kilometre routes.
Ride committee member John Sims said participants have voiced interest in adding an in-between distance.
“Over the years people who have been riding the 50 and are tired of riding the 50 asked to step it up and try a 75-kilometre route,” he said at a Wednesday morning media conference held at Fresh Air to kick off registration for the event.
“We’ve looked at the maps and the roads and have found a great route, that’s a little hilly, that will take people through Hymers and right through Kakabeka Falls, which is the first time we’ve had the opportunity to bring cyclists through Kakabeka.”
The different routes, which all start at the Best Western Nor’Wester Hotel and Conference Centre on Highway 61, take participants through Oliver Paipoonge and then south into Hymers with the 100-kilometre riders visiting Nolalu.
He added registration is expected to hit the 400 rider cap as it has in previous years.
“We have so many people in Thunder Bay who are avid cyclists and this event is for those people who want to get together with a group,” Sims said.
“We’re encouraging anybody of all ages who can ride a bike to come on out. The 50-kilometre ride sounds daunting but if you’re riding in a group and you’re having a little chat with the person beside you it goes by so fast.”
Since it was first held in 2009, the event has raised $190,000 for local causes. The ride has partnered with the Northern Cancer Fund.
Andrea Docherty, the program director for Regional Cancer Care Northwest, said funds raised by the charity ride have helped purchase two new linear accelerators, which provide start-of-the-art radiation treatment.
“I would say they’re critical to us being able to maintain and remain state of the art,” she said of the role of fundraising events in enhancing quality of care. “They allow us a little more flexibility in terms of the funding we receive and it allows us to go after all the bells and whistles.”
Event information and registration is available online.
