Strap on your helmet, it's time to ride.
On Saturday, Oct. 1, riders, runners and walkers, will be hitting the streets of Cold Lake for a cause, the Cold Lake Food Bank.
Ride for Refuge is coming to Cold Lake for the first time thanks to the help of Lindsay Toth, coordinator for the ride in Cold Lake and Cyclepaths 4 Cold Lake Food team captain.
“We believe riding our bikes or walking can change the world,” Toth said.
The ride goes beyond the Alberta border, and is hosted in hundreds of communities across Canada in support of over 250 charities.
Each community chooses a charity in need. For Cold Lake, this year it's the food bank, with a fundraising goal of $6,000.
With families thinking about back to school, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, the food bank is an organization that becomes heavily relied on by those in need, one of the reasons Toth decided to make it the designated charity for the first Cold Lake Ride for Refuge.
“People are needing it now more than ever with our economic climate… Everybody needs fuel for energy.”
The Cold Lake Food Bank distributes approximately 66 food hampers per week to families in need.
A few years ago, while visiting Ontario, Toth discovered the fundraising event and immediately knew it was something she wanted to be a part of. For the past two years, Toth and a group of locals travelled to Edmonton to participate in an official ride where they fundraised for Habitat for Humanity Cold Lake.
“It was so much fun I thought ‘we've got to bring this event to Cold Lake,' because Cold Lake has never had a cycling event,” Toth said.
Getting involved doesn't necessarily mean you have to ride, walk, or run, the group is also looking for volunteers to help hand out water, food, and to put signage up along the route.
“I have always had a big heart for our community, and physical activity is one of my passions so this is getting people out in whatever capacity they can. If they can get on a bicycle, awesome, if they can walk, great, if they don't want to do that, they can come together and help out with food or volunteering throughout the route.”
The Cyclepaths 4 Cold Lake Food are accepting donations and welcomes anyone interested in participating in the event in either the 10, 25, or 50 kilometre rides, or the five kilometre walk.
“We are asking everyone to join the Cyclepaths 4 Food team, so you can get together with your neighbours, friends and family members and all sign up under this team,” Toth said.
The cost is $50 per participant; kids under the age of 12 are free.
Participants who donate or raise $100 for the cause will receive a long-sleeve shirt for the day of the ride. The event is family-friendly, however the team is asking that all pets be left at home.
Registration starts at 8 a.m. at the Cold Lake Food Bank with the ride/walk starting at 9 a.m. Those interested in purchasing a shirt need to sign up prior to Sept. 18, however, regular registration is open up until the day of.
Tune-ups will be available Oct. 1 for those participating in the ride.
“It's just wonderful to see people come together for a bigger cause no matter what's going on in their lives.”
To register, visit https://canada.rideforrefuge.org and search for Cold Lake.