Member Event: West End Food Co-op Bike-a-Thon
Posted: August 21, 2012
Categories: Events / Food in the News / News from Sustain Ontario
Join the West End Food Co-op for their 2nd Annual Ride 4 Real Food 4 All Bike-a-thon on Sunday, September 16th, 2012. This event will take registered riders on scenic routes that follow the food ways that connect the countryside to the city. Riders can choose from 3 exciting routes: 30K, 50K, and 100K, which all end up at McVean Farms in Brampton, a FarmStart initiative. The bike-a-thon raises funds for food access in Parkdale.
Last September, twenty cyclists raised $10,000 and rode from Toronto to the Kortright Centre to support West End Food Co-op’s Ride 4 Real Food. This year, WEFC is ramping up the annual ride with a new fundraising cause, new farm destination, and 3 scenic routes. The proceeds from last year’s Bike-a-thon went towards the start-up costs of WEFC’s Food Hub, set to open this fall. The 2012 goal is an ambitious $20,000, with all proceeds supporting Co-op Cred, a joint program between WEFC and Parkdale Activity Recreation Centre (PARC).
“The Co-op Cred program will encourage those living on low incomes to get involved with WEFC’s Food Hub in exchange for credit at the co-op, which will be used to purchase fresh groceries,” says Victor Willis, Executive Director at PARC. “This program provides accessible, healthy food to those who need it most — and does so in a dignified way.” Willis participated in last year’s Bike-a-thon, and he is excited to again partake as a ‘Rider 4 Real Food’.
This year features a 30K Park Ride that takes riders along the Humber River; as well as 50K and 100K loops that provide more of a challenge for seasoned cyclists. These extensive 50K and 100K routes explore some of the paths that our food travels from the countryside to the city, with rest stops along the way that include points of interest for foodies such as Spirit Tree Estate Cidery in Caledon. All routes end up at McVean Farm in Brampton, a FarmStart property that supports new farmers in growing their agriculture business, including several vendors from WEFC’s Sorauren Farmers’ Market.
WEFC’s Ride for Real Food Bike-a-thon will be held on September 16th, starting either at McVean Farms (50K/100K) or Etienne Brule Park (30K). If you are interested in becoming a rider or a sponsor, please visit our website at http://westendfood.coop/bikeathon2012. You can also contact us at bikeathon2012@westendfood.coop.