ATHABASCA — Attention all mountain bike enthusiasts: whether you’ve blown the dust off your bike for the season or not, there’s a ride this June you won’t want to miss.
The Athabasca Nordic Ski and Bike Club (ANSBC) is hosting a fundraiser Bike-a-thon Saturday, June 28, to turn their vision of a 14-kilometre mountain bike trail system for all levels of ability in Athabasca a reality.
“You don’t have to come bike but if you want to come and support it, you can come and get a burger, drinks,” said town councillor and ANSBC member Jon LeMessurier. “We’re going to have some outdoor games so hopefully it’s a nice day out.”
The event will kick off at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning in the field behind Landing Trails Intermediate School, and bikes will be on the Muskeg Creek Trails until 1 p.m.
Riders interested in participating can register on the event’s webpage by scanning the QR code on the poster, or visiting the page on Crowdfunding Alberta.ca. By using the Crowdfunding Alberta platform, the club is eligible to receive matching funds from the provincial government to a maximum of $5,000.
Donations of any amount can made through the crowdfunding page, and contributors supporting friends or family riding in the event can credit the donation to individual registered riders. Donations can also be made anonymously, or be accompanied by a personal message.
The club’s fundraising goal for the event is set at $5,000, and any matching funds received by the province will be put towards the next step in the project process — the detailed design plan for the first phase of the plan, estimated to cost nearly $12,000.
The detailed design step is the last stage of planning and preparation before construction on Phase 1, which includes four trails, two for beginners and two intermediate trails. Phase 1 trials will also be accessible in the wintertime with snowshoes and fat-bikes.
In addition to fundraising for access to high-quality mountain bike trails in the area, participating riders will have a chance to win the bike-a-thon door prize: $450 off a new bike from Cheap Seats Sports. As an incentive to collect as many contributions as possible, riders will get one entry to the draw for every $25 raised.
A cash only concession with barbecue fare will be available on site for hungry riders and supports. Only donations made through the Crowdfunding Alberta webpage will be eligible for matching funds from the Government of Alberta.
