How far are people willing to go for charity? For some, the answer was 150 miles.
From June 24-26, dozens of people saddled their bicycles and took to the roads around the Valley in support of People Helping People. Wine Country Bike Trek riders began the weekend by gathering in Solvang’s Hans Christian Andersen Park. Their day ended at Midland School on Figueroa Mountain Road.
The multi-day riders could enjoy camping, food and music while they rested for the next days ride. On Saturday, riders made a loop around the Valley, starting and finishing at the school. This was the same day the trek welcomed single-day riders who wanted to join the other bicyclists. The final stage came on Sunday, when riders made their way back to Hans Christian Andersen Park.
Each day, there was an option to ride 30- or 50-mile routes, meaning riders could log a maximum of 150 miles over the weekend. Stationed every 10 miles were aid tables fully stocked to keep the riders going at their best.
Each night, the riders were treated to a feast prepared by New West Catering and the Santa Barbara Kiwanis Club. There was also music to liven the night. One of the groups that played was Foggy Dew, an Irish folk family band that has played for riders at 17 of the yearly treks.
This is the second year that People Helping People has been at the helm of the ride and Executive Director Dean Palius said this year was “exceptionally good.” He said many pledges were still pouring in, but the ride had grossed more than $38,000 so far. He expected this to set a new record for funds raised. This year, ridership was up by approximately 50% as 75 people took part in the trek. Palius said that was a combination of new riders and returning veterans who had ridden at many of the past rides. He added, “It was perfect weather, just warm enough.”
He said this year he was “very pleased” with the ride and noted the great response to the event despite this being a difficult period for non-profits. People Helping People is already planning next year’s ride and has marked the weekend from June 29-July 1 as the dates of the 2012 trek.
“We are definitely doing it next year, and we’ve already got 30 people signed up,” he said. Palius hoped that the next ride would draw more riders, especially those from the Valley.
People Helping People is a community provider of social and human services in Santa Barbara County. Their work includes food programs, homelessness prevention, domestic violence prevention, counseling, medical and dental care for the uninsured. They also work with at-risk teens and provide leadership programs. More information can be found on their website, www.syvphp.org.
– Report and photos by Isaiah Brookshire